Narrow Results

Using an analysis from a physical and phenomenological viewpoint employing the renowned and recognized continuity of the Boscovich force curve, a new paradigm is formulated to explicate various physical phenomena in both the micro-world and the macro-world. Within this paradigm, an algorithm is established which produced a functional representation of the various atomic line spectra of hydrogen and the temperature dependent black-body energy distribution of radiation which compared very favorably with the experimental data. The Boscovichian points which are assumed to be endowed with certain characteristics move under the action of a force (acceleration) field that varies inversely proportional to the cube of the radius from the center of force which leads to an orbit described by an equiangular (logarithmic) spiral. This spiral consists of intercepts that correspond to stable and unstable points on the Boscovich curve. These intercepts are the roots of the equations employed and are described in the Pavia paper. Further representations also produced very favorable results for the photoelectric effect, (to be published). In addition, utilizing the shape of Boscovich’s “extended” curve of force, the prospect of the interpretation of the mysterious attractive and repulsive forces beyond the visible Newtonian region of space, often described in terms of “black holes”, “dark energy”, etc. is proposed. The recent LIGO experiments provides a means of using this extended Boscovich’s to analyze these results and is presented herein.

Over the past decade, gravitational wave detectors have undergone dramatic transitions in both sensitivity and scale — from laboratory-sized resonant bar detectors to kilometer-length-scale laser interferometers. The construction and operation of large-scale laser-interferometric gravitational wave detectors such as the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) and the Virgo interferometer as well as others have enabled searches for extra-galactic gravitational waves with unprecedented range and sensitivity. Here, we review the present state of the global laser-interferometric gravitational wave detector network, highlight the results of recent science runs, and provide a preview of the state of the network in the coming decade and beyond.

The past decade has witnessed the successful operation of the first generation of large scale ground-based gravitational-wave interferometers — LIGO, Virgo, and GEO600 — each demonstrating remarkably sensitive, robust performance over a series of observing runs beginning in 2002 and continuing through 2011. Although gravitational waves have not yet been directly detected, searches by these detectors have established noteworthy limits on the possible emission of gravitational waves from astrophysical sources. Second generation instruments currently under construction such as Advanced LIGO, Advanced Virgo, and KAGRA will begin observing in the second half of this decade with sensitivities that are predicted to lead to direct detections of binary neutron star mergers and possibly other sources of gravitational waves.