since the LIGO experiment wasn`t really a fantastic success (and probably cost Loads!), wouldn`t it have been cheaper (and probably more accurate) to have just exploited the mirrors on the Moon instead?

 

the Orbital of the moon has been tracked using these for several decades now, and so a good mean avg can be plotted, and so any Significant Gravity spike would deviate from this avg and show up quite nicely.

couple that with the fact that it`s 1/4 million miles away as opposed to a few 10`s of (virtual) miles as in LIGO, and you get a greater movement!

 

any reason this wasn`t considered in the 1`st place?

Probably accuracy, and you'd need to have the detectors in the right place at the right time to measure a large enough event...

You also need two arms for an interferometer to work (since you are actually interfering the two laser beams). So unless you can come up with a second moon....

I don't think the motion of the moon is as precisely known or monitored, either.

I thought the 2 arms were for giving a Direction (approx) that the Gravity wave came from (like an X and Y axis), I didn`t realise it was essential.

 

Cheerz

The idea of the two arms is that they change relative lengths compared to one another. With no wave, the arms are the same length so the two laser beams remain in phase. When the wave passes through the arms are of a different length so the waves become out of phase. When you put them back together you will get an interference effect which is very very sensitive to the relative lengths.

You also want a second system to make sure that an event is real, since the two systems should record the event separated in time. So we need even more moons. Assuming their motion allows the system to work.

I`m guessing that using Satellites instead of Moons is a stupid idea then (else it would have been Done already) ?

I`m guessing that using Satellites instead of Moons is a stupid idea then (else it would have been Done already) ?

 

Meet LISA

http://www.esa.int/esaSC/120376_index_0_m.html

SWEET!!! maybe I`m NOT so crazy afterall, saved by a Super Sexy LISA!

 

 

works for me

I think the biggest problem with the moon is that things keep hitting it. Even a relatively small meteorite would jolt it enough to upset the measurements.

I expect something like that could be offset against seismic sensors though, enough to Nullify these spikes.

 

(only a guess mind you)