Science Porn

[vorlon13]

BTW, the LIGO detects gravitational radiation by exquisitely measuring differences in distance equivalent to a very tiny fraction the diameter of a proton.


So, our weird vorlon science question of the day:

gravitational waves propogate thru space/time actually, so instead of a detector based on geometry (differences in length are measured) is a detector based on measuring differences in time feasible ??

I'm thinking a large tetrahedron shaped constellation of satellites in deep space, with a very precise atomic clock in each of the 4 vertices, all relaying time signals to another satellite in the center of the tetrahedron, with it's own reference atomic clock.

Once all the clocks are sync'd up, passing waves of gravitational energy will selectively desync the clocks as it passes thru the tetrahedron, and by analysis of how the small differences in the rate of time passage in each of the 4 outer satellites compare to each other and the central clock, the direction and magnitude of the wave could be ascertained.



IOW, can we build better clocks than rulers ???