gravitational wave

noun

, Astronomy, Physics.

1. (in general relativity) a propagating wave of gravitational energy produced by accelerating masses, especially during catastrophic events, as the gravitational collapse of massive stars.

gravitational wave

noun

1. physics another name for gravity wave

Word History and Origins

Origin of gravitational wave¹

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

"They are interesting for other reasons too, as since the recent innovation of gravitational wave astronomy, there have been discoveries of binary black hole mergers, which can be explained if PBHs exist in large numbers. But despite these strong reasons for their expected abundance, we have not seen any directly, and now we have a model which should explain why this is the case."

From Science Daily

In this case, the team used a novel approach to correct the leading model of PBH formation from cosmic inflation so it better aligns with current observations and could be further verified with upcoming observations by terrestrial gravitational wave observatories around the world.

From Science Daily

"Our study suggests there should be far fewer PBHs than would be needed if they are indeed a strong candidate for dark matter or gravitational wave events."

From Science Daily

That is why current state-of-the-art gravitational wave detectors are L-shaped and measure the relative lengths of the laser using interferometry, a measurement method which looks at the interference patterns produced by the combination of two light sources.

From Science Daily

In the latest simulation campaign, data was used from previous observation periods and simulated gravitational wave signals were added to show the performance of the software and equipment upgrades.

From Science Daily