gravitational wave en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˌɡɹæ.vəˈteɪ.ʃə.nəl weɪv/
- (Australia) audio
Meanings
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(qualifier:relativity) A fluctuation in spacetime caused by accelerating mass, which propagates as a wave at the speed of light.
It might be anticipated that a pulsating star, such as a Cepheid is believed to be, would emit gravitational waves abundantly; but when the question is examined analytically, this expectation is not confirmed.
1949, Edmund [Taylor] Whittaker, From Euclid to Eddington: A Study of Conceptions of the External World, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →OCLC, page 119:A gravitational-wave detector exploits the physical effects of a gravitational wave on bodies to detect the waves. A gravitational wave detector may, for example, monitor the separation between two freely falling bodies; as a gravitational wave passes, the two bodies will experience a tidal acceleration relative to each other.
2011, Jolien D[onald] E[arl] Creighton with Warren G. Anderson, “Gravitational Waves”, in Gravitational-Wave Physics and Astronomy: An Introduction to Theory, Experiment and Data Analysis, Weinheim: Wiley-VCH, →ISBN:Fourth, there exists a strong competition on the side of purely astronomical means for indirect detection of gravitational waves.
2003, John W. Mason, editor, Astrophysics Update, Berlin: Springer-Verlag; Chichester, West Sussex: Praxis Publishing, →ISBN, page 282:Physicists have announced the discovery of gravitational waves, ripples in spacetime first anticipated by Albert Einstein a century ago. “We have detected gravitational waves. We did it,” said David Reitze, executive director of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (Ligo), at a press conference in Washington.
2016 February 11, Tim Radford, “Gravitational waves: discovery hailed as breakthrough of the century: Scientists announce discovery of clear gravitational wave signal, ripples in spacetime first predicted by Albert Einstein”, in The Guardian, London:It is therefore apparent that the existence of gravitational waves can be deduced from general relativity just as the existence of electromagnetic waves can be deduced from Maxwell's theory.
1941, Leopold Infeld, Quest: The Evolution of a Scientist, New York, N.Y.: Doubleday, Doran & Co., →OCLC, page 261:Scientists have detected about 300 black hole mergers from the gravitational waves they generate. Until now, the most massive merger known produced a black hole about 140 times the mass of the sun.
2025 July 13, Ian Sample, “Scientists detect biggest ever merger of two massive black holes”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
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(dated, proscribed) A gravity wave.
In the used model sound waves and external gravitational waves have been filtered; combined inertial-internal gravitational waves, however, are still included in the equations.
1959, K. Hinkelmann, “Ein numerisches Experiment mit den primitiven Gleichungen”, in Bert Bolin, editor, The Atmosphere and the Sea in Motion: Scientific Contributions to the Rossby Memorial Volume, New York, N.Y.: The Rockefeller Institute Press in association with Oxford University Press, →OCLC, abstract, page 486:These layers also permit visual observation of the well-known "gravitational waves," which were suggested by Helmholtz and have been investigated theoretically at some length. It is frequently suggested that these atmospheric waves may be connected with signal fading.
1951, Donald E. Kerr, editor, Propagation of Short Radio Waves [IEE Electromagnetic Waves Series; 24], London: Peter Peregrinus Ltd on behalf of The Institution of Electrical Engineers, →ISBN, page 346:It is difficult to see whether a sufficient amount of energy is communicated to the sea by the air masses directly in the form of compressional waves or it is transmitted or increased by the action of gravitational waves.
1953, J[ohan] G[erard Jozef] Scholte, “On Theories of the Origin of Microseisms”, in James T. Wilson, editor, Symposium on Microseisms: Held at Arden House Harriman N.Y. 4–6 September 1952 [Publication (National Research Council); 306], Washington, D.C.: National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council, →OCLC, page 124:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| gravitational waves | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Coordinates
RAMAcraft (spacetime) · RAMADAR (spacetime)
Deriveds
cosmic gravitational-wave background (spacetime) · gravitational wave background (spacetime) · GW (spacetime)
Synonyms
GW (spacetime)
Translations (61)
be гравітацыйная хваля (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · ja 重力波 (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · no gravitasjonsbølge (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · it onda gravitazionale (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · bg гравитационна вълна (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · hu gravitációs hullám (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · ru гравитацио́нная волна́ (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · fr onde gravitationnelle (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · ko 중력파 (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · lv gravitācijas viļņi (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · ar موجة ثقالية (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · sl gravitacijsko valovanje (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · ur ثقلی امواج (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · pt onda gravitacional (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · id gelombang gravitasi (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · gl onda gravitacional (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · tr kütleçekim dalgası (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · fa موج گرانشی (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · cmn 重力波 (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · ca ona gravitacional (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · uk гравітаційна хвиля (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · scn unna gravitazziunali (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · pa ਗੁਰੂਤਾ ਛੱਲ (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · pl fala grawitacyjna (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · cy ton ddisgyrchol (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · is þyngdarbylgja (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · tt гравитацион дулкын (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · sv gravitationsvåg (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · tl dagsining liboy (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · sh гравитациони талас (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · es onda gravitacional (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · fi gravitaatioaalto (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · kk гравитациялық толқын (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · fi gravitaatiosäteily (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · eu grabitazio-uhin (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · el βαρυτικά κύματα (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · da gravitationsbølge (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · de Gravitationswelle (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · sh gravitacijski talas (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · hi गुरुत्वीय तरंग (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · cs gravitační vlna (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · cmn 引力波 (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · ta ஈர்ப்பு அலை (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · hy գրավիտացիոն ալիք (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · lt gravitacinės bangos (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · eo gravitada ondo (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · pa ਗਰੈਵੀਟੇਸ਼ਨਲ ਤਰੰਗ (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · nl zwaartekrachtsgolf (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · fi painovoima-aalto (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · ka გრავიტაციული ტალღა (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · bn মহাকর্ষীয় তরঙ্গ (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · vi sóng hấp dẫn (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · mk гравитациски бран (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · sh gravitacioni talas (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · ga tonnta imtharraingteacha (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · ro undă gravitațională (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · tr yerçekimi dalgası (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · th คลื่นความโน้มถ่วง (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · ml ഗുരുത്വാകർഷണതരംഗം (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · ro undă de gravitație (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light) · he גלי כבידה (fluctuation in spacetime that propagates as a wave at the speed of light)