3 ms·
LIGO is measuring wave amplitude, which is the square root of the power. So the thing it measures actually goes down linearly, not as inverse square.
by bzbarsky 11y ago
LIGO is measuring wave amplitude, which is the square root of the power. So the thing it measures actually goes down linearly, not as inverse square.
- Steuard 11y agoHuh. That sounds entirely sensible and correct, and at the same time it's bugging my physical intuition a bit. I guess they're not trying to do this measurement by absorbing energy, but much more directly by just watching the change in length. I think I believe you: thanks!