What waves can be measured using LIGO detectors?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The question asks which type of waves can be measured using LIGO detectors, so we need to match the detector’s purpose and capabilities to the options provided.
Option 1: X-rays. LIGO is not designed to detect X-rays. X-rays are electromagnetic waves with much higher energy and different propagation characteristics; specialized X-ray telescopes and detectors are used for X-ray astronomy, not interferometric gravitational-wave detectors like LIGO.
Option 2: Gamma rays. Similar to X-rays, gamma rays are high-energy electromagnetic waves. They require different detection methods and instruments (such as gamma-ray detectors) and are not measured by LIGO’s interferometer setup, which is built to sense tiny distortions in spacetime rather than EM radiation.
Option 3: Radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves in the radio portion of the spectrum. While they are detectable by radio astronomy equipment and, in some contexts, by certain ground- or space-based detectors, LIGO’s design does not measure electromagnetic radiation of any frequency. Its sensors are calibrated to detect strains in spacetime, not EM wave signals.
Option 4: Gravitational waves. Gravitational waves are ripples in spacetime predicted by general relativity. LIGO uses laser interferometry to measure incredibly small changes in the distances between its mirrors caused by passing gravitational waves. This is precisely the observable effect LIGO was built to detect, and its data analysis pipelines are tailored to extract gravitational-wave signals from noise.
In summary, the detector’s fundamental operating principle and the type of signal it is built to measure align with gravitational waves, whereas the other options describe electromagnetic waves that LIGO does not detect through its interferometric mechanism.

My LMS Subjects Quiz Topic 1: The Big Bang

What waves can be measured using LIGO detectors?

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