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June 29 (UPI) — Scientists have recently detected shock waves resulting from the merger of massive black holes at the cores of distant galaxies. This discovery potentially offers direct proof of black holes distorting space-time, supporting Albert Einstein’s theory. In 2017, physicists who confirmed Einstein’s gravitational wave theory, which explained disturbances in space-time, were awarded the Nobel Prize in physics.
A group of international scientists has now taken the detection of gravitational waves one step further by discovering ultra-low frequency waves. These waves could provide valuable insights into the influence of massive black holes on galaxy evolution. The findings have been published in a series of papers in the Astronomy and Astrophysics journal.
The waves were detected by studying signals from pulsars, the remnants of dead stars. Scientists observed that these signals reached Earth either slightly faster or slower than expected, indicating time distortions consistent with waves generated by enormous black holes.
“This discovery could potentially challenge Einstein’s theory of gravity, provide insights into the true nature of dark matter and dark energy, and shed light on new theories of physics,” said Professor Michael Kramer, lead scientist at the European Pulsar Timing Array Consortium, in an interview with BBC News.
The collaboration, consisting of scientists from Europe, India, and Japan, utilized 25 years’ worth of observations collected by the world’s most sensitive radio telescopes.
Stanislav Babak from the French Laboratory APC at CNRS stated that these low-frequency gravitational waves have the potential to unveil some of the universe’s greatest mysteries. Astronomers have consistently observed the signatures of these waves, with data and results confirming their existence in Pulsar Timing Array collaborations worldwide.
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Pulsars act as highly precise natural clocks,” explained David Champion, senior scientist at the MPIfR in Bonn, Germany, in a news release. “We leverage the incredible regularity of their signals to detect subtle changes in their timing caused by the stretching and squeezing of space-time due to gravitational waves originating from distant parts of the universe.”
According to Rebecca Bowler from Manchester University, supermassive black holes reside at the cores of all galaxies and grow over billions of years. The newly detected waves are a result of these black holes merging. Unlike previous gravitational waves, which were fleeting events, these newly discovered waves present as a constant background hum.
The study detailing these groundbreaking gravitational waves has been published in the journal Astronomy and Physics.
