Gravitational Radiation from Black Holes

爱因斯坦引力理论的一个革命性预测是，加速的质量会产生重力波，类似于电荷产生电磁波的方式。计算机模拟将用于模拟大质量黑洞之间碰撞产生的引力波发射。水、声波和电磁波是自然界中常见的波。引力波只能通过消耗脉冲星能量的方式间接探测到。激光干涉引力波天文台（LIGO）的灵敏度足以直接探测引力波，目前正在建设中，它将开辟一种新的天文学形式。黑洞碰撞的计算机模拟可以提供引力波的细节，这是LIGO天文台接收信号所必需的。

A revolutionary prediction of Einstein's gravitational theory is that accelerated masses produce gravity waves, analogous to the way electric charges produce electromagnetic waves. Computer simulations will be used to model the emission of gravity waves produced by collisions between massive black holes. Water, sound and electromagnetic waves are common examples of waves occurring in nature. Gravity waves have only been detected indirectly by the way they deplete energy from an orbiting pulsar. A Laser Interferometric Gravity Wave Observatory (LIGO) sensitive enough to detect gravity waves directly is now under construction and will open up a new form of astronomy. Computer simulations of black hole collision can provide the details of the gravity waves which are necessary for the LIGO observatory to tune in on the signal.