Gravitational waves

Weak gravitational waves from the early universe may hint at how dark matter first formed. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Gravitational waves from the early universe may have created dark matter

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A new paper suggests that a weak background of stochastic gravitational waves from the early universe created low-mass particles that may have later become the dark matter that shapes galaxies and large cosmic structures.
Starlight is gravitationally excited (orange) by a binary system of supermassive black holes. The Einstein ring is shown in blue. Credit: Hanxi Wang

Cyclic flashes of light may reveal hidden pairs of supermassive black holes

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Gravitational waves change the frequency (color) of light emitted by atoms depending on the direction of emission. Precise measurement of these frequency changes could enable a new way to detect gravitational waves. Credit: Jerzy Michal Paczos

Theoretical study suggests detecting gravitational waves through changes in light emitted by atoms

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Artist's impression of an eccentric binary system of a neutron star and a black hole. The orbit of the neutron star is shown in blue and the motion of the black hole in orange as the two bodies orbit each other. The eccentricity shown here is exaggerated relative to the real system, GW200105, to make the effect on orbital motion more apparent. Credit: Geraint Pratten, Royal Society University Research Fellow, University of Birmingham

Scientists have detected the merger of a black hole and a neutron star in an elliptical orbit for the first time

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A new analysis of the gravitational wave event GW200105 has found that a black hole and a neutron star collided in an eccentric orbit, rather than in a nearly perfectly circular orbit as previously thought, a finding that undermines conventional models.
The Allen Telescope Array. Credit: SETI Institute

Pulsar's twinkle reveals the hidden fabric of space

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SETI Institute observations of the Allen Telescope Array over about 10 months have shown how the twinkling of pulsars varies over time, creating tiny delays that require correction in precise timing measurements. The subtle twinkling of a pulsar reveals
The study investigates EMRIs (Extreme Mass Ratio Inward Spirals): systems in which a relatively small, compact body (for example, a black hole formed by the collapse of a single star) orbits and gradually moves inward toward a much more massive black hole, usually at the center of a galaxy. During this inward journey, the smaller body generates a continuous gravitational wave signal. Credit: ESA

Gravitational waves may reveal hidden dark matter around massive black holes

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A full relativistic model suggests that the signature of EMRIs - inward spirals of a small black hole into a supermassive black hole - will carry "fingerprints" of dark matter concentrations, which future detectors like LISA could measure.
When two black holes collide, they release gravitational waves that allow scientists to determine their mass and spin. In January 2025, LIGO detected GW250114, the clearest signal yet of a black hole merger, providing new insights into these mysterious cosmic giants. Credit: Maggie Chiang for Simons Foundation

Hawking was right: New data confirms black holes never shrink

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The sharpest and brightest gravitational signal ever measured, GW250114, allows the LIGO–Virgo–KAGRA collaboration to test Hawking's surface theorem and Einstein's prediction with unprecedented precision. Black holes "ring" after
Image from a computer simulation of the formation and evolution of a black hole. Credit: Ore Gottlieb/Simons Foundation

Mystery solved: How the "impossible" merger of two giant black holes occurred

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New simulations from the Center for Computational Astrophysics at the Flatiron Institute suggest that the formation of black holes in the "forbidden" mass range results from a combination of rapid rotation and strong magnetic fields, which eject up to half of the star's mass and create
Artist's impression of J1539+5027, a binary white dwarf system with a period of 6.9 minutes, consisting of a tidally heated white dwarf (in yellow) and its more dense companion (in blue). It is about to begin mass transfer. Credit: KyotoU / Lucy McNeill

Hotter than expected: Tidal heating “inflates” white dwarfs

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Researchers have built a small but powerful detector to find gravitational waves in a hidden frequency range. The discovery could reveal unseen black hole activity and echoes from the early universe. Illustration: depositphotos.com

The small device that will open a new window to the universe: a compact gravitational wave detector for the millihertz range

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UK researchers present a desktop detector based on optical resonators and atomic clocks, which opens access to the “middle domain” of gravitational waves and could reveal binary white dwarfs, black hole mergers and a stochastic background – and a bridge
A chain of plasmoids forms in the equatorial plane along the streamer sheet, where the particle density (left part) is higher. Here, magnetic fusion occurs, accelerating particles to very high energies (right). Particles also reach relativistic velocities along the spin axis and eventually form the jet, which is driven by the Blandford-Zenaik mechanism. In gray: magnetic field lines. Credit: Meringolo, Camilloni, Rezzolla (2025)

Scientists have solved a century-old black hole mystery

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A new physical model combines observations and simulations and explains key processes in the vicinity of black holes — from jet emissions to extreme mass growth
A new image of the galaxy OJ 287 reveals for the first time the ribbon-like structure with the sharp curve of the plasma jet ejected from its center. Credit: Dr Efthalia Traianou, Heidelberg University, IWR

What lies at the heart of OJ 287? New image reveals the secret of merging black holes

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Astronomers have imaged the twisted jet structure in the core of the galaxy OJ 287 for the first time – evidence of two supermassive black holes in the process of merging.
LIGO Gravitational Wave Observatory in the US, credit: caltech

A new model of the Big Bang incorporates gravitational waves and seeks to change our understanding of the beginning of the universe.

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Scientists propose that gravitational waves shaped the universe. Their model challenges the cosmic inflation model
NGC 3603 is a high-rate star-forming region located 22,000 light-years from the Sun, and is the closest known region of its kind in the galaxy. Credit: ESO

Astronomers have discovered one of the most massive binary stars in the Milky Way.

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A pair of stars weighing 93 and 70 solar masses orbit each other every just 3.8 days – providing a rare glimpse into the processes that lead to the formation of binary black holes and gravitational waves
Gravitational waves emitted by colliding black holes hold clues about these hidden objects. Credit: Maggie Chiang / Simons Foundation

The most powerful black hole collision since the phenomenon was discovered confirms Einstein's theory and Hawking's prediction

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An extremely strong gravitational wave measured at LIGO has made it possible for the first time to experimentally verify the principle that the area of ​​a black hole's event horizon cannot decrease. Concern: The government wants to close the LIGO project
Image of Stokes curves and a black hole. Credit: KyotoU / Taiga Miyachi

Scientists discover spiral symphony hidden in black hole oscillations

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Precise analysis reveals complex frequency patterns and quasi-normal modes that had been lost to sight—and suggests a new way to improve the interpretation of black hole “resonance sounds” and the accuracy of gravitational wave measurements
Two massive black holes have collided in deep space, creating a final monster that defies current theories. Scientists say it's the most massive, fastest-spinning merger ever discovered.

LIGO Detects Gravitational Waves from Extreme Black Hole Merger *Pushing the Limits of Einstein's Theory of Relativity

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A collision between two massive black holes creates a body that rotates at dizzying speeds and contradicts standard models – possibly resulting from previous mergers
A pair of black holes in a cosmic vortex about to collide. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Are We Reading the Universe Wrong? New Method Could Reveal Secrets of Colliding Black Holes

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Scientists have developed a revolutionary method for analyzing gravitational wave signals, which allows for more precise alignment between observations and theoretical models – and brings us closer to understanding the properties of black holes.
Still image from the numerical simulation about 1.3 seconds after the neutron star merger. The blue and green contours show the density of matter around the center of the black hole remnant. The purple lines show the magnetic field lines and the arrows show the outflow in the magnetosphere (jet). Credit: K. Hayashi / Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute)

Accelerated cosmic collision – supercomputer captures the birth of a black hole in a second and a half

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Researchers used the Pogko supercomputer to simulate the merger of neutron stars – from spinning to black hole formation and gamma-ray burst – and to decipher how heavy elements like gold are formed.
With LISA, ESA plans to capture gravitational waves from space, using a triangle of spacecraft separated by millions of kilometers – and unlock cosmic secrets we've never seen before. Credit: ESA

The European Space Agency is building a large antenna in space to listen for gravitational waves from the dark universe

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LISA is a major mission to detect elusive ripples in space-time. From its vantage point in space, LISA will capture gravitational waves at lower frequencies than are possible on Earth, and detect events on a different scale -
LIGO Gravitational Wave Observatory in the US, credit: caltech

LIGO gravitational wave detectors are about to undergo an upgrade

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Scientists have developed an innovative optical system designed to improve the sensitivity of the LIGO detector, the American gravitational wave detector that was a partner, along with the European Virgo, in the initial detection of gravitational waves and in many subsequent discoveries.
Schematic overview of a wide orbiting binary system within the Milky Way. As it moves through the galaxy, the ellipticity of its orbit changes due to the gravitational influence of the galaxy and encounters with nearby stars, leading to close encounters (small image). Credit: Jakob Stegmann et al 2024 ApJL 972 L19

The role of galactic gravity in black hole collisions: a groundbreaking study

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New research shows how the host galaxy's gravity affects distant pairs of stars, bringing the black holes into extreme and rare collisions accompanied by powerful gravitational waves
This image from the ALMA telescope shows the star system HD101584 and the complex gas clouds surrounding the binary pair. The clouds are the result of two stars that shared a common outer layer in the last moments of their lives. Credit: ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), Olofsson et al., : Robert Cumming.

Dead and Alive: Astronomers Reveal Star Pairs That Are Changing Our Universe

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Astronomers have discovered for the first time pairs of binary star systems, consisting of the remnant of a dead star (a white dwarf) and a living star (a main sequence star), within young clusters
This figure shows a stage in the merger of two galaxies that creates a single galaxy with two supermassive black holes at the center and surrounded by disks of hot gas. The black holes orbit each other for hundreds of millions of years as they merge to form a single supermassive black hole that sends out powerful gravitational waves. Credit: NASA/CXC/A.Hobart

Gravitational waves hint that the universe still has secrets

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New research sheds light on the origin of low-frequency ripples in space-time
This groundbreaking idea proposed by Prof. Liu's team allows a single astronomical telescope in the Earth's magnetosphere to function as a gravitational wave signal detector. Credit: HKUST

Astrophysicists harness planetary power to explore the universe's greatest mysteries

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Observing the universe using gravitational waves poses significant technological challenges, especially in the investigation of the frequency range above one kilohertz, the astronomers are technologically assisted in the magnetosphere of planets to detect the gravitational waves
The coalescence and merger of a black hole from the bottom of the mass gap (surface in dark gray) with a neutron star with colors ranging from dark blue (60 g/cm600) to white (XNUMX kg/cmXNUMX) emphasize the strong deformations of the low-density material of the neutron star Credit: I. Markin (Potsdam University), T. Dietrich (Potsdam University and Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics), H. Pfeiffer, A. Buonanno (Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics)

Gravitational waves reveal hidden interactions in space

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The analysis of the signal GW230529 picked up by LIGO shows that it originated from the merger of two compact objects, one with a mass between 1.2 and 2.0 times that of the Sun and the other with a mass slightly more than twice the first
This figure shows how CSOs are probably formed. When one massive star gets too close to a black hole (left), it is devoured. This causes the black hole to emit a very fast dipole jet (center). The jet extends outward and its hot edges glow with radio wave emissions (right). Credit: B. Saxton/NRAO/AUI/NSF

Cosmic Mysteries Revealed: The Short and Brilliant Lives of Compressed Compact Objects

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The CSOs emit jets for 5,000 years or less and then die out. "The CSO jets are very energetic jets but they seem to end, the jets stop flowing from the source
Artist's rendering of the heaviest pair of supermassive black holes: Using archival data from the Gemini North Telescope, a team of astronomers has measured the heaviest pair of supermassive black holes ever found. The merger of two supermassive black holes is a long-predicted but never-observed phenomenon. This pair provides insight into why such an event seems so unlikely in the universe. Credit: NOIR LAB

Astronomers have measured the heaviest pair of black holes ever found

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Data from the Gemini North Telescope provide a possible explanation for the halting of the merger of a pair of supermassive black holes at the center of a galaxy
The LISA mission will be the first space-based observatory dedicated to detecting ripples in the fabric of space-time. Credit: ESA

Capturing the Ripples of Space-Time: The LISA Mission to Study Gravitational Waves

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The European Space Agency gets the green light for the first space observatory of its kind, dedicated to revealing space-time vibrations.
Artist's impression of the different layers inside a massive neutron star, with the red circle representing a large quark-matter core. Credit Jyrki Hokkanen, CSC

More evidence for quarks at the centers of massive neutron stars

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A new theoretical analysis puts the probability that massive neutron stars harbor non-configurational quark nuclei between 80 and 90 percent. The result was achieved through massive computer runs using Bayesian statistical inference.
An artist's rendering of a collection of pulsars detecting gravitational waves from pairs of orbiting supermassive black holes. Credit: Aurore Simonnet for the NANOGrav Collaboration

Proof that the Earth is surrounded by a sea of ​​slow gravitational waves

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"The effect of gravitational waves on pulsars is very weak and difficult to detect, but we built the credibility of the findings over time as we collected more data," said Caterina Cazziano, NANOGrav team member and senior lecturer at Caltech.
Impressively, a pair of supermassive black holes (top left) emit gravitational waves that propagate through the fabric of space-time. These gravitational waves compress and stretch the trajectories of radio waves that emit pulsars (in white). By carefully measuring the radio waves, a team of scientists recently discovered for the first time the gravitational wave background of the universe. Credit: Aurore Simonnet for the NANOGrav Collaboration

Noisier than expected: Gravitational waves from supermassive black hole mergers "heard" for the first time

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NANOGrav Discovers Stronger Gravitational Waves Than Ever, Apparently Created by Pairs of Supermassive Black Holes
Gravitational waves. Illustration: depositphotos.com

An innovation in gravitational wave detectors could help decipher cosmic secrets

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A significant development in thin layer technology could possibly improve the sensitivity of gravitational wave detectors.
Gravitational waves are created by a pair of stars turning into black holes. Illustration: depositphotos.com

Gravitational waves light up the universe

Gravitational wave analysis hints at the way black hole pairs are formed
An artist's impression of two black holes about to collide and merge Image: depositphotos.com

Astrophysicists predict the strength of gravitational waves from merging supermassive black holes

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A team of researchers from Australia recently made a new prediction about the strength of this gravitational wave signal. The new estimate is based on data from the MassiveBlack-II imager, which simulates a massive region of space that resembles a dissecting
It is a complex picture of X-rays, molecular gas and hot ionized gas near the center of the galaxy. The orange shapes are glowing hydrogen gas. One of these shapes, at the upper end of the jet (see an illuminated image below) is interpreted as a hydrogen cloud that was hit by the jet and moved outward. The jet disperses the cloud into tendrils that move towards the north. Further down near the black hole are X-ray observations of highly heated gas in blue and molecular gas in green. These data are evidence that the black hole is occasionally accreted by stars or gas clouds, and is ejecting some of the very hot material along its axis of rotation. Credit: NASA, ESA, and Gerald Cecil (UNC-Chapel Hill); Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI)

The Milky Way's supermassive black hole is still humming long after a burst of powerful 'death rays'

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The Hubble Space Telescope photographed a bright knot of gas hit by an invisible jet from the black hole, which is only 15 light years away. The black hole must have looked bright billions of years ago as a quasar
A black hole swallows its companion star. Illustration: shutterstock

Two gravitational wave events within 10 days: black holes have been discovered that eat neutron stars - "like Pac-Man"

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The Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) in the US and the Virago Gravitational Wave Observatory in Italy captured the gravitational waves from the death spiral and merger of a neutron star with a black hole, and not once but

A breakthrough for an alternative model for dark matter

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Researchers from Prague published in the prestigious journal Physical Review Letters an alternative model for dark matter based on MOND that succeeds in predicting the existence of the cosmic background radiation. This is a significant achievement that the MOND model failed
A neutron star just before merging with the black hole. Image: Carl Knox OzGrav/Swinburne University of Technology

Astronomers discovered a merger of a black hole and a neutron star, then another just ten days later

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A rare event that occurred in January 2020 still fascinates scientists, who are trying to learn about the structure of the neutron star with its help
Simulation of a gravitational wave event. Illustration: MIT-LIGO

The most massive gravitational waves ever

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A binary black hole merger probably created gravitational waves equal to the energy of eight suns * "Bang" in the Ligo and Virgo detectors is a signal for the source of the most massive gravitational waves ever
Thanks to a reanalysis of the data from 2017 of the merger event, we have now detected the signature of one defined heavy element within this fireball, the element strontium, proving that a collision of neutron stars caused the creation of this element in the universe. Figure: ESO

First ever detection of a heavy element created by the collision of neutron stars

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An artist's illustration of a kilonova caused by a neutron star merger. Image: CREDIT: NAOJ

The origin of the heavy elements - in the fusion of neutron stars

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A laser beam that travels 1,600 km in a tube. LIGO detector | Photo: NASA

"With the LIGO upgrade we will be able to discover dozens of gravitational wave events per year"

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Black hole simulation. Quantum entanglement and black holes, two seemingly unrelated phenomena, may lead physicists to the long awaited unification: the unification of general relativity and quantum mechanics. Image: Ute Kraus / Wikimedia.

A brief history of black holes

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This image provides three different perspectives on the gamma ray burst GRB150101B, which is similar to the event where gravitational waves were measured and simultaneously also in the electromagnetic spectrum and there is a similarity between the two cases. In the center, an image from the Hubble Space Telescope shows the galaxy where the GRB150101B burst occurred. In the top corner, two X-ray images from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory show the event as it appeared on January 9, 2015 (left), and as seen about a month later, on February 10, 2015 (right), as the explosion halo fades, point The bright light is the nucleus of the galaxy.Photo: NASA/CXC

Researchers have retrospectively identified another event of gravitational waves from colliding neutron stars

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Multiple dimensions - is it possible to build an observational experiment?

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Illustration of a neutron star and black hole merging. Credit: Dana Berry/NASA

Will gravitational waves be able to shed light on the expansion rate of the universe?

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Neutron star merger - breakthrough of the year according to SCIENCE magazine

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Radio observations shed light on a neutron star collision event

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Imaging a kilonova: the merger and collision of two tiny but highly compressed neutron stars. Source: ESO/L. Calçada/M. Kornmesser.

The prediction from 1989 that came true and the rapid mobilization of astrophysicists to observe the source of gravitational waves with other detectors as well

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