Records and Highlights
 

The Institute of Gravitational Physics records cosmic sounds with its state-of-the-art laser interferometer GEO600.

Tracing gravitational waves - not far from the village of Ruthe near Hannover is one of the world's most sensitive interferometers. GEO600 is a detector for proving gravitational waves - tiny distortions in space-time. Albert Einstein had predicted the existence of gravitational waves in his General Theory of Relativity in 1915. This theory describes gravitation (gravity) as an aspect of the geometry of the space-time continuum. Direct evidence of gravitational waves has until now not been successful and it is therefore one of the greatest challenges of modern physics.

There are only three other locations in the world with large interferometers - Virgo in Cascina, near Pisa, LIGO-Hanford (US State of Washington) and LIGO-Livingston (US State of Louisiana).

Further information can be found under

• www.aei-hannover.de