Expected sound of colliding black holes

In summary, the sound of spinning black holes is a 'popping' sound that is created when the gravitational waves emitted from two black holes merge.
  • #1
varsha
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the sound of spinning black holes
"We can't hear gravitational waves, because they are a vibration of space, not air. But here scientists have adapted the gravitational wave into an audio file.

Listen to the sound generated by a pair of black holes spinning together, in real time."

Einstein's theory of gravity predicts that black holes can send ripples of gravity through the fabric of space itself. NASA's LISA space mission, planned for launch within a decade, should be able to detect these waves of gravity – acting as a kind of cosmic "seismograph." High on the cosmic Richter scale of quakes should be the collision of two black holes, or of a black hole with another star. LISA's ability to detect colliding black holes is only the first step in its voyage of discovery. Gravity waves are a completely new tool with which to explore the universe. Gravity-wave astronomy complements traditional astronomy, and can reveal events in the universe that could not be explored using light and conventional telescopes

in case your wondering where i got this from,well,here it is
 
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Astronomy news on Phys.org
  • #2
Thats a very interesting link. I'm wondering why the ripples were turned into "popping" sounds instead of something else, such as ringing or pinging or something.
 
  • #3
i thought about it too. i guess they don't make that pinging noice because they will have to be moving very fast for that. well i don't know how to explain this(i'm very bad at it) but i think that ringing is sort of unnatural for things like black holes.

The sounds of different vibrating objects are similar. and vibrations are caused by waves. any wave for that matter. as in this case it's gravitational waves. but if you listen to this closely, you'll hear that in the biggining the sound is not even close to the sound of normal vibrations. it's got that 'popping' sound as you say, but as they get closer(black holes) the sound is similar to the vibration of objects.

Here when i mentioned 'vibration of objects' i didn't mean that black holes vibrate
 
  • #4
Yes, I agree. Would it be safe to assume that the increased speed of the "popping" is due to the black holes getting closer together?
 
  • #5
yes i think it would be. as the bhs get closer, the speed of the 'popping' is increased. and i guess it's because of the gravity itself. at first the black holes are farther away from each other. and then they get closer by each other's gravity. as they get closer they get faster. so the sound created is also faster. though we can't hear them i think it's quite obvious.
 
  • #6
Black----- that gives you a clue.No light gets out.Why would any sound get out? Star Wars SHOULD tell us that sound would not travel in(through,across,) space. But we are excited by clash of the giants events.Imagination takes us beneath frozen ammonia mountains beyond the reach of Sunlight.I used to enjoy imagining life on a pair of planets "stuck" together.What would gravity be like in that world.
 
  • #7
Sorry I forgot the question mark.Science would never operate at all if just one molecule in the universe forgot to spin properly.So -------?-------That`s better. I`ve just mended the Universe!
 
  • #8
A clash of Black Holes might seem improbable.Here`s another improbable to match.I was reading a Maths book about an interesting problem when a sudden thunderstorm and torrential rain drove two people into shelter just outside the library window.I held the book against the glass and they could read my book problem-------How fast should you run in the rain? What are the odds? They both laughed.----Absolutely true.
 
  • #9
The gravitational waveform from coalescing binary black holes can typically be divided into three stages:

  1. Inspiral
  2. Merger
  3. Ringdown

The inspiral part is where the two black holes are orbiting each other emitting gravitational waves from which orbital angular momentum is lost and the black holes can inspiral - this leads to a greater orbital frequency.

The merger is, as the name suggests, where the two black holes merge into a single perturbed black hole.

This final perturbed black hole will then proceed to 'ringdown' - it will emit gravitational radiation to shed itself of the deformities.

As the gravitational waves are emitted at twice the orbital frequency (well, predominantly) then the inspiral that leads to higher orbital frequencies produces that characteristic chirping sound as the frequency of the gravitational waves is increasing. The ringdown is often compared to the idea of striking a bell with a hammer and letting it ring. This produces the typical waveforms you can find on the LIGO pages and so on.

http://www.ligo.org/science/GW-Inspiral.php"

Plenty to read up on here as well as the links it provides to member institutions. For example, check out some of the other gravitational wave sources.
 
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  • #10
Damn, didn't sound all that cool like I was expecting it to.
 

FAQ: Expected sound of colliding black holes

1. What is the expected sound of colliding black holes?

The expected sound of colliding black holes is a phenomenon known as gravitational waves. These are ripples in the fabric of space-time that are produced when two massive objects, such as black holes, orbit each other and eventually merge together.

2. Can we hear the sound of colliding black holes?

No, we cannot physically hear the sound of colliding black holes as it is a low-frequency sound that falls below the range of human hearing. However, scientists can detect and measure these gravitational waves using specialized equipment such as the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO).

3. How are gravitational waves produced by colliding black holes?

Gravitational waves are produced by the acceleration of massive objects, such as black holes, which causes disturbances in the fabric of space-time. As the black holes orbit each other and eventually merge, they create intense gravitational waves that travel through space at the speed of light.

4. What can we learn from the sound of colliding black holes?

By studying the sound of colliding black holes, scientists can learn more about the properties of these objects, such as their masses and spin. This information can help us better understand the behavior of black holes and the effects they have on the surrounding space-time.

5. How do scientists detect the sound of colliding black holes?

Scientists use specialized equipment, such as the LIGO, to detect and measure gravitational waves produced by colliding black holes. This equipment uses lasers to measure tiny changes in the space-time fabric caused by the passing gravitational waves, allowing scientists to determine the source and characteristics of the waves.

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