About half the length of the long version. Sound file from the Mock Data Challenge that contains several easy-to-hear coalescences of massive black holes at redshifts of 1 and 2, several Extreme Mass Ratio Inspiral (EMRI) signals, and thousands of galactic binary signals. The noise of the binaries is so loud that the naked ear can't make out the EMRIs. These can, however, be extracted by sophisticated pattern-matching. The signal also includes simulated instrumental noise, but this is so much weaker than the binary background that one can't hear it. This signal has been shifted upward in frequency by a factor of about 4 million, or about 22 octaves, in order to put the Supermassive Black Holes (SMBH) inspirals into the audible range. This is not the entire gravitational wave universe of eLISA, but it gives an idea of its richness!
Resources
Video: The challenges of observing gravitational waves in space. |
Video: Vibration test of the LPF laser at Tesat Spacecom. |
Credit: AEI/Milde Marketing/Exozet
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Animation of LISA Pathfinder showing the test masses and the optical bench with the interferometer. Credit: Eric Plagnol, APC Paris Click to view video: |
The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) was a cooperative mission with NASA, designed to detect 'ripples' in space-time. Click to view video: Laser Interferometer Space Antenna
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Numerical simulation of two neutron stars merging in an instant. A strong magnetic field forms along the rotational axis during this process, creating a jet which may contain gamma ray bursts. Credit: L. Rezolla (AEI) & M. Koppitz (AEI & Zuse-Institut Berlin) |
A replica of the LPF Gravitational Reference Sensor (GRS). Credits: Trento University LISA team |
Integration of the LPF GRS replica in the Trento torsion pendulum facility. Credits: Trento University LISA team |
A view of one of the Trento torsion pendulum facilities, before closing the thermal shield that shields the apparaturs from temperature fluctuations. Credits: Trento University LISA team |
CAD model of the new interferometer design for eLISA/NGO. The Zerodur substrate is 350 mm in diameter and has components mounted on both sides for space efficiency. Credit: University of Glasgow |
CAD rendering of the LISA-like breadboard interferometer currently under construction at Glasgow. The base plate is a Zerodur disk 580 mm in diameter. Credit: University of Glasgow |
Photograph of the completed flight model interferometer for LISA Pathfinder, prior to installation of the photodiodes. Credit: University of Glasgow |
Lisa Pathfinder being prepared for space environment testing. |
LISA Pathfinder with Propulsion Unit before space environment testing. Credit: Astrium UK |
Testing the optical bench. Credit: AEI |
A simulated cosmic-ray ‘splash’ in the LISAPathfinder spacecraft. Credit: Imperial College |
The flight UV lamp assembly for LISA Pathfinder. Credit: M. Schulte, Imperial College |
Artist's impression of stars orbiting the massive black hole in the Milky Way. Credit: ESO |
LISA Pathfinder is pictured here in the cleanroom at the IABG test facility in Munich, Germany, prior to thermal testing in June/July 2010. The science module (above) is a structural thermal model; the propulsion module (below) is the flight model. Copyright: ESA |
Photograph of flight hardware, showing a cluster of four colloid thrusters. Two such clusters form the actuators of the Disturbance Reduction System (DRS) on LISA Pathfinder. Credit: NASA |
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The universe in the gravitational wave range (short)
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The universe in the gravitational wave range (long)
Sound file from the Mock Data Challenge that contains several easy-to-hear coalescences of massive black holes at redshifts of 1 and 2, several Extreme Mass Ratio Inspiral (EMRI) signals, and thousands of galactic binary signals. The noise of the binaries is so loud that the naked ear can't make out the EMRIs. These can, however, be extracted by sophisticated pattern-matching. The signal also includes simulated instrumental noise, but this is so much weaker than the binary background that one can't hear it. This signal has been shifted upward in frequency by a factor of about 4 million, or about 22 octaves, in order to put the Supermassive Black Holes (SMBH) inspirals into the audible range. This is not the entire gravitational wave universe of eLISA, but it gives an idea of its richness! |
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EMRI 132X from the eLISA Mock Data Challenge
Data from the Mock Data Challenge for a single Extreme Mass Ratio Inspiral (EMRI) signal without noise and without any other signals on top of it. This data has been shifted upward in frequency by a factor of about 1 million, or 20 octaves. The original data represents about 2 years, but the frequency shift compresses it to less than one minute. You can hear the signal get strong and weak as eLISA turns in its orbit and the source goes through the antenna pattern. The pitch of the signal rises gradually as the small black hole spirals closer and closer to the large one, but merger does not happen during the observation period. |
EMRI 134X from the eLISA Mock Data Challenge
Data from the Mock Data Challenge for a single Extreme Mass Ratio Inspiral (EMRI) signal without noise and without any other signals on top of it. The small black hole starts out rather close to the horizon of the large black hole in this one, resulting in a higher pitch than the other EMRI signal. Again, this data has been shifted upward in frequency by a factor of about 1 million, or 20 octaves. The original data represents about 2 years, but the frequency shift compresses it to less than one minute. You can hear the signal get strong and weak as eLISA turns in its orbit and the source goes through the antenna pattern. The pitch of the signal rises gradually as the small black hole spirals closer and closer to the large one, and merger happens very suddenly at the end: the signal dies away in one or two cycles. |
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LIGO coalescing black hole binary
A coalescing equal-mass black hole binary, each with a mass of 3.5 solar masses, as it could be heard by the ground-based detectors like LIGO and VIRGO. The signal includes not only the inspiral but also the merger of the two black holes. Simulated instrumental noise has been added to the signal. Notice that the signals are much easier to hear in the simulated space data than in this ground-based data, because the long arms of the space detector greatly increase its sensitivity. |
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Pau Amaro-Seoane et al. |
This document introduces the exciting and fundamentally new science and astronomy that the European New Gravitational Wave Observatory (NGO) mission (derived from the previous LISA proposal) will deliver. |
