Gravitational waves are produced whenever an object is accelerated relative to another object. The first ever gravitational wave signal was detected by LIGO in 2015, coming from two massive black holes that collided over 13 billion years ago. Pulsar timing arrays can also detect gravitational waves by measuring minute distortions in spacetime through their effects on the arrival times of radio pulses from pulsars. Future detectors like LISA and developments in laser interferometry, cryogenic electronics, data acquisition, and quantum sensors promise to increase gravitational wave detection sensitivity and enable observation of even weaker sources.

1. IIT ROORKEE
GRAVITATIONAL WAVE
DETECTION
EXPLORING THE COSMIC RIPPLES

2. CONTENT
01
Introduction
02
Background
03
Detection-
LIGO
04
Pulsar Timing
Arrays
05
Future
Developments
06
Advancements
in detection
07
Overview
08
References

4. • Gravitational waves are produced
whenever an object is accelerated
with respect to another object.
THE ORIGIN
Yellow structures near the black
holes illustrate the strong
curvature of space-time in the
region
• This new era of astronomy allows us to look
farther into the universe than possible by
studying the electromagnetic waves from outer
space.
• Every mass has effect on every other mass in
the universe. The information contained in the
activities of masses can be spread out in the
form of changing gravity.

5. MICHAELSON INTERFEROMETER
How did it serve as a basis for
LIGO?
01
The First signal ever
detected
02
Conditions required for detection
03

6. 01 03
02 Conditions
• Vacuum
• Vibration
Isolation
• High-Power
lasers
LIGO
Setup
LIGO - Caltech
• L-shaped laser
interferometer
with arms 4
km long
First ever signal
• Signal from two
massive black
holes that
collided 13.6
billion years ago

7. PULSAR TIMING ARRAY
• Minute distortions in space-time can be
detected as deviations in the expected
arrival times of the regular pulsar signals
• Upon passage of a wave, the pulsars either
move closer to us or farther away from us
• Radio Telescopes measures fluctuations

8. PULSAR TIMING ARRAY
•
•

10. LISA
LASER INTERFEROMETER SPACE ANTENNA
LISA operates in the low-frequency range, between
0.1 mHz and 1 Hz. LIGO's frequency range is 10 Hz to
1000 Hz
Consist of three spacecraft arranged in a triangular
formation positioned at 2.5 million km apart
Emit a highly stable, precisely tuned laser beam
towards each other. They have a source of laser beam
inside, emitting another beam of coherent laser with
restored intensity

11. QUANTUM SENSORS
• Enhanced sensitivity translates to
ability to detect weaker
gravitational waves
• Greater sensitivity in measuring
length, time and frequency
01
CRYOGENIC ELECTRONICS
• Work at extremely low temperatures,
reducing thermal and electronic
noise
• They offer long-term stability and can
process and digitize the signals with
more precision
02
DATA ACQUISTION SYSTEM
• The detectors generate vast
amounts of data
• High speed data acquisition system
with large storage is essential for its
operation
03
BETTER LASERS
• High-power stable and frequency
tunable lasers is crucial for
interferometric detectors
• High-power increases the intensity
hence increasing ability to detect
fainter signals
04

12. OVERVIEW

13. REFERENCES
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14. ANY QUESTIONS?

15. THANK YOU