Mind-Blowing Experiment Could Help Us Finally 'See' Gravity
Seeing Gravity
Gravity can be felt all around the earth and even beyond it. But, 'seeing' the phenomenon is not so commonplace, IFL Science reported. Researchers have yet to find a way to 'quantify' this phenomenon because to this date no one has been able to 'visualize' the mechanism in play, that causes gravitation. In the past, experts have confirmed the existence of gravitational waves through wave detectors, but have failed to point out the constituent elements named 'gravitons' which allegedly carry the gravitational force. Physicists from Stockholm University have come up with an experiment that they believe will bring this mechanism out on display for everybody to see on objects. The team of experts published their findings in Nature Communications.
Graviton
For decades, researchers have been trying to detect graviton – a hypothetical particle that carries the force of gravity, Science Alert reported. Graviton as per experts, acts like photons which are force carriers for the electromagnetic field. All the observations researchers have regarding gravitons are based on seeing the behavior of photons and other similar particles. The reason gravitons are so hard to detect, as per physicists, is because the interactions between these particles in the gravitational waves are weak by nature.
Gravito Photonic Effect
As per their study, physicists from Stockholm University have formulated plans for an experiment that could achieve the elusive objective of 'quantifying' gravitons. The physicists have named the proposed experiment, the 'Gravito Photonic Effect.' The experiment would involve researchers cooling down a 1,800 kilogram (nearly 4,000 pounds) bar of aluminum to a hair above absolute zero and then attaching the structure to continuous quantum sensors. After the gravitation waves wash over, the team believes that there would be vibrations of tiny scales on the setup that would be recorded by sensors as a series of discrete steps between energy levels. These 'steps' in their opinion mark the detection of a single graviton active in the gravitational wave.
Similarity with Joseph Weber's Experiment
Joseph Weber, an American physicist, in the 1960s tried to showcase gravitational waves to the world using a setup similar to what physicists of Stockholm University want to put into place, Science Alert reported. He used aluminum cylinders and suspended them from steel wires so that when gravitational waves passed over them, it would set off vibrations, that could eventually be converted into measurable electrical signals. His 'experiment' was discredited as others failed to replicate it. LIGO ultimately 'found' the gravitational waves in 2015.
Drawbacks
The team firmly believes that this 'experiment' will help them locate the elusive gravitons, Science Alert reported. "We're certain this experiment would work," said theoretical physicist Thomas Beitel, an author of the study. "Now that we know that gravitons can be detected, it's added motivation to further develop the appropriate quantum-sensing technology. With some luck, one will be able to capture single gravitons soon." The issue they are facing in facilitating the experiment is that the main component of the whole setup, quantum sensors are yet to be built by experts. This has not brought the team's spirits down as they understand that with rapid advancement, the sensors will soon become a reality.