http://www.nap.edu/catalog/9680.html We ship printed books within 1 business day; personal PDFs are available immediately. Gravitational Physics: Exploring the Structure of Space and Time Committee on Gravitational Physics, National Research Council ISBN: 0-309-51455-X, 126 pages, 6 x 9, (1999) This PDF is available from the National Academies Press at: http://www.nap.edu/catalog/9680.html Visit the National Academies Press online, the authoritative source for all books from the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Medicine, and the National Research Council: • Download hundreds of free books in PDF • Read thousands of books online for free • Explore our innovative research tools – try the “Research Dashboard” now! • Sign up to be notified when new books are published • Purchase printed books and selected PDF files Thank you for downloading this PDF. If you have comments, questions or just want more information about the books published by the National Academies Press, you may contact our customer service department tollfree at 888-624-8373, visit us online, or send an email to
[email protected] This book plus thousands more are available at http://www.nap.edu. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF File are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Distribution, posting, or copying is strictly prohibited without written permission of the National Academies Press. Request reprint permission for this book. Gravitational Physics: Exploring the Structure of Space and Time http://www.nap.edu/catalog/9680.html Gravitational Physics Exploring the Structure of Space and Time Committee on Gravitational Physics Board on Physics and Astronomy Commission on Physical Sciences, Mathematics, and Applications National Research Council NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS Washington, D.C. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Gravitational Physics: Exploring the Structure of Space and Time http://www.nap.edu/catalog/9680.html NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance. This project was supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under Grant No. NAG5-4120, the Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-FG02-97ER41051, and the National Science Foundation under Grant No. PHY-9722102. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsors. Front cover: Gravitational waves are ripples in the curvature of space and time that propagate with the speed of light through otherwise empty space. Mass in motion is the source of gravitational waves. The figure shows the predicted gravitational wave pattern from a pair of neutron stars or black holes spiraling inward toward a final merger. The figure shows one polarization of the waves as seen by observers stationed throughout the plane of the orbit at the moment of final merger. The waves measured far away were emitted during the earlier steady inspiral of the objects about one another, while the peak at the center comes from the final m