8. Using Atomic Clocks to Detect Gravitational Waves

8.  Using Atomic Clocks to Detect Gravitational Waves

(If you somehow have ended up on this page without any background knowledge, before continue, you better know that all below scenario is based on the idea that our universe is expanding in time -4th dimension- direction with the speed of light. You can check the previous 2 posts of: 1. Do We Travel in Time Direction With Speed Of Light and 2. Expansion of the Universe as Travel in Time Direction if you are willing to understand this concept)

Last night I was thinking about gravitational waves while trying to sleep. (thinking about theoretical physics subjects somehow drowse me off, don’t ask me why). As usual, I was using lower dimensional analogies in order to help me visualize the scenario:

In this scenario, A and B are objects which belong to a 1 dimensional world which exists in a 2 dimensional space. That 1 dimensional world is flat by default (1) but it can take a wave form when there is a disturbance like a gravitational wave (2). Since the objects belong to a 1 dimensional world, they can detect the length changes in their own dimension (L) since it extends (i.e. using laser interferometry) but cannot detect the changes in 2nd dimension direction (H). But in the ESOL model which I am trying to figure out in this blog, that direction corresponds to time dimension which I assume we travel with the speed of light. Time dilation happens when 2 objects have different speeds in that direction and 1 of those objects lacks behind the other one. That means, if A and B are no longer on a flat line in that direction, that must correspond to a time dilation effect between those 2, when they are hit by the gravitational wave. If we have atomic clocks, located in the same locations with the laser interferometers and precise enough to detect that time dilation effect, it should provide an evidence for my model.

That thought made me excited and ironically, resulted in an extra sleepless hour:( I decided to write about it this morning but right before start, I wanted to give it a search in the web just to see if anybody else came up with the idea before. The search brought many results like this one.  I was disappointed twice by this finding. It didn’t only mean that I am not the first one to figure this out, it also means that the ESOL model wasn’t needed to come up with this idea. After a short evaluation, I figured out that you don’t need a model with motion in time direction. All you need is a perpendicular extra dimension and associate it with time perception. Current physics is already saying that, so no need for ESOL model for this scenario to be valid.

This concludes my short lived excitement and added another point to the discoveries that  I thought I made first.

P.S. While thinking about why laser interferometers like LIGO has L shape, I think I have found out a flaw in their design.

In a 2 dimensional world that exists in 3 dimensional space, observing the distance variations between 2 perpendicular arms can be enough to detect the waves coming from any direction. This setup will avoid both arms to be on top of a wave at the same time and not being able to detect a wave, even if there is one. In that regards LIGO setup is direction independent but only when located on a 2D world in 3D space. But, in a 3D world in 4D space (3D space in 4D space-time, if you will), there is a chance that 2 arms will be on top of a 3D wave at the same time. (It is visually impossible to imagine but can be comprehended if you start thinking from lower dimensional scenarios).

Perhaps, the designers of LIGO and other interferometers already knew about that flaw and this tiny possibility of missing a wave, if it comes at a bad angle. But considering the really low probability of such coincidence (coming at the exact bad angle) and the difficulty of building a costly vertical arm for such long distances, I would certainly cancel the 3rd vertical arm and take the risk of missing that wave, as well.