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Cardiff University researchers who are part of a British-German team searching the depths of space to study gravitational waves, may have stumbled on one of the most important discoveries in physics according to an American physicist.

Craig Hogan, a physicist at Fermilab Centre for Particle Astrophysics in Illinois is convinced that he has found proof in the data of the gravitational wave detector GEO600 of a holographic Universe - and that his ideas could explain mysterious noise in the detector data that has not been explained so far.

The British-German team behind the GEO600, which includes scientists from the School of Physics and Astronomy's Gravitational Physics Group, will now carry out new experiments in the coming months to yield more evidence about Craig Hogan's assumptions. If proved correct, it could help in the quest to bring together quantum mechanics and Einstein's theory of gravity.

In order to test the theory of holographic noise, the frequency of GEO600´s maximum sensitivity will be shifted towards ever higher frequencies. The frequency of maximum sensitivity is the tone that the detector can hear best. It is normally adjusted to offer the best chance for hearing exploding stars or merging black holes.

Even if it turns out that the mysterious noise is the same at high frequencies as at the lower ones, this will not constitute proof for Hogan's hypothesis. It would, however, provide a strong motivation for further study. The sensitivity of GEO600 will then be significantly improved by using 'squeezed vacuum' and by the installation of a mode filter in a new vacuum chamber. The technology of 'squeezed vacuum' was particularly refined in Hannover and would be used in a gravitational wave detector for the first time.

Professor Jim Hough of Glasgow University, one of the pioneer developers of gravitational wave detectors, says: 'Craig Hogan made a very interesting prediction. It may be the first of a number of unexpected possibilities to be investigated as gravitational wave detectors become more sensitive.'

Professor Bernard Schutz, Professor at the School of Physics and Astronomy, member of the Gravitational Physics Group at the School, and recently elected as an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society said: "It would be truly remarkable if GEO600 is sensitive to the quantum nature of space and time. The only way to confirm that would be to carry out controlled experiments, the results of which can be solely attributed to holographic noise. Such an experiment would herald a new era in fundamental physics".

Proffessor Dr. Karsten Danzmann, director of the Hannover Albert-Einstein-Institute, said: "We are very eager to find out what we can learn about the possible holographic noise over the course of the coming year. GEO600 is the only experiment in the world able to test this controversial theory at this time. Unlike the other large laser interferometers, GEO600 reacts particularly sensitively to lateral movement of the beam splitter because it is constructed using the principle of signal recycling. Normally this is inconvenient, but we need the signal recycling to compensate for the shorter arm lengths compared to other detectors. The holographic noise, however, produces exactly such a lateral signal and so the disadvantage becomes an advantage in this case. You could say that this has placed us in the very centre of a tornado in fundamental research!

Searching for the graininess of space

The smallest possible fraction of distance is called the 'Planck length" by physicists. Its value is 1.6 x 10-35 m - this is impossible to measure by itself. The established physical theories cease to function at this scale. GEO600 scientists are testing a theory by US physicist Craig Hogan, who is convinced he can hear the noise of space quanta in the data of the gravitational wave detector GEO600. Hogan suggests that the mirrors in an interferometer wander relative to one another in very rapid steps of the tiny Planck amount, that accumulate during the time of a measurement into something as large as a gravitational wave would produce. Hogan and the GEO600 scientists are following up the question whether a certain 'noise signal' in the data recorded by the detector can be traced back to the graininess of space and time.

Source: Cardiff University

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gravitational wave, holographic noise, wave detector, vacuum chamber, holographic universe, merging black holes, particle astrophysics

• Alizee - Feb 03, 2009
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  By Aether Wave Theory (AWT) the relation between light and gravitational waves (GW) should be analogous to relation between surface and underwater (sound) waves. GW should be a much weaker then light waves, but faster as well with compare to prevailing relativity theory, which is assuming the same speed for both. Because light waves are spreading along gradients of vacuum foam, whereas GW travel accross these gradients through hidden dimensions of vacuum foam bubbles, GW should decay and to disperse much faster. Water analogy is clearly visible during underwater explosions of nuclear bomb, where underwater sound wave decays much faster, then the surface wave.
  
  http://www.metaca...ar_test/
  
  This model may explain, why we didn't detect GW yet - just the common disbelief in Aether model has prohibited scientists to consider these simple connections and analogies. And it could explain the observation of GW noise by dispersion of GW by foamy structures of dark matter. Albeit I would check all detectors for presence of dead mouses twicetimes first in this case...;-)
  
  If this model will be proven correct, then the new era in fundamental physics would become a return to ancient Aether physics at the same time. While I wish success to holographic model and Craig Hogan, for me personally this model of Universe is more difficult to imagine, then the Universe itself.
• Nik_2213 - Feb 04, 2009
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  Um, IIRC, sound waves travel a lot further deep under water than near the surface...
  
  Which is why some whales sing in the depths, why downed aviators may drop 'poppers' into the sound-channel, and why formerly-secret sea-bed mics could triangulate eg USS Thresher and Scorpion loss from many hundreds of miles away. Tsunamis, of course, are in a different league...
• NeilFarbstein - Feb 04, 2009
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  You AWT people wont detetct the GWs you have somethiung wrong with you. You theory makes no cnets and it is corrupt and unreliable
• Alizee - Feb 04, 2009
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  ..sound waves travel a lot further deep under water than near the surface.....

  
  We are talking about energy density levels. Water is of low compressibility, so it can spread only tiny amount of energy with compare to water surface, where space-time is compactified heavily.
  
  If AWT concept is correct, then the sound waves should be mediated in transversal way through underwater at large distances along surfaces of density fluctuations of water, i.e. by the same way, like through vacuum. These density fluctuations are behaving like autofocussing conductive channels, having a character of undulating spatial foam.
  
  http://superstrun...foam.gif
• lengould100 - Feb 05, 2009
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  Anyone else starting to think this AWT thingy is becoming a cult?
• Alexa - Feb 05, 2009
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  Do you mean a cargo cult or some real one? Till now I never met nobody, who would promote it except myself. So I'm still after three years the only one real proponent of it. AWT is still one man show.
  
  AWT has one advantage, and one disadvantage. The advantage is, everything in it has its own logical explanation, 'cause it doesn't use abstract postulates and ad-hoced concepts. The disadvantage is, it enables to detect easily, whether you're understanding the subject or not. If you have no analogy for explanation prepared, no hiding behind complexity of math equations won't help you here, because this theory is singular by its very nature and every math model can only approximate it.
  
  From this reasons the AWT is obstinately ignored both by common cranks, both by scientists. For cranks and believers is too logical and materialistic idea, for scientists is too non formal hypothesis. Because people tends to mysticism and platonism naturally, both scientists, both philosophers rather talking about topology, holography and emergence, then just about such down-to-earth things, like the particle concept.