Gravitational wave rumors are once again making the rounds of science circles after cosmologist Lawrence Krauss tweeted about receiving confirmation of their discovery.
Some scientists are reported to be writing a paper containing details about gravitational wave signals, according to
The Guardian in London, and the confirmation of such a discovery would support a prediction made in Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity.
Gravitational waves are thought to be light-speed ripples and vibrations in the fabric of the universe caused by violent events, such as exploding stars and black hole mergers, said
Gizmodo.com.
Researchers in a 2014 experiment announced the discovery of gravitational waves, but other scientists have since pointed out that the signal could have just been due to space dust.
Krauss, an award-winning physicist, started the latest rumor about the gravitational waves discovery in September and seemed to confirm it with Monday's Twitter post, said the
Washington Post, adding though that Krauss was not involved in the experiment that supposedly detected the wave.
The rumors were focused on an experiment called the Advanced Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, or LIGO, which is using detectors based in Washington state and Louisiana to search for ripples in the fabric of space time, said The Guardian.
"Albert Einstein predicted the existence of gravitational waves not long after he published physicists' prevailing theory of gravity, the general theory of relativity," said Adrian Cho of
Science magazine.
"… From 2010 to 2015, LIGO researchers completely rebuilt their instruments, aiming to make them up to 10 times more sensitive. They resumed their hunt for a fleeting source of gravitational waves on (Sept. 18). Then the rumor mill revved up."
Gabriela Gonzalez, a spokesperson for the LIGO project and professor of physics and astronomy at Louisiana State University, said their work is ongoing.
"The LIGO instruments are still taking data today, and it takes us time to analyze, interpret and review results, so we don't have any results to share yet," Gonzalez told The Guardian.
"We take pride in reviewing our results carefully before submitting them for publication – and for important results, we plan to ask for our papers to be peer-reviewed before we announce the results – that takes time too."
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