引力波、引力波源和引力波探测实验

引力波是爱因斯坦和其他物理学家提出的关于广义相对论的四大预言之一。除了PSR1 91 3 + 1 6引力辐射阻尼的观测提供了引力波存在的间接证据外 ,科学家至今仍没有在实验室中确证引力波的存在。由于人类目前的技术水平还不可能在实验室中产生强度可供探测的引力波 ,而宇宙中存在大量大质量、高速运动的天体 ,有可能产生较强的引力波 ,天体引力波源自然成为现阶段科学家研究引力波的首选。本文介绍广义相对论框架下预言的引力波性质 ,引力波探测的理论依据 ,共振型棒式天线和激光干涉仪两大类探测器的基本原理 ,引力波探测实验的现状和面临的困难 ,科学家采取的对策 ,以及爆发型和连续型两类天体引力波源。最后介绍了正在计划中的几个引力波探测空间实验

Gravitational Wave,Celestial Sources and Gravitational-Wave Detection Experiments

The existence of gravitational wave is one of four predictations from the general relativistic theory proposed by Einstein and other physicists. Up to now scientists have not obtained solid evidence in laboratory except indirect evidence from the observations of the damping caused by gravitational radiation of the binary pulsar PSR1913+16.Because at present it is impossible to generate so strong gravitational waves in laboratory that they can be detected with the aid of present technology in the World, while there exists great amount of moving celestial bodies which are able to radiate very much strong gravitational waves because of their huge mass and high speed,naturblly,these celestial sources of gravitational wave become the first choice of scientists for studying gravitational wave.In the theoretical frame of the general relativistic theory,the properties of gravitational wave,the theoretical foundation of detecting gravitational wave,the basic principles on two categories of gravitational wave detectors,i.e.resonant bar antenna and laser interferometer,the present status and difficulties of detection experiments,the countermeasure,and two main celestial sources,i.e.burst and continuous sources are introduced.Some proposals of space experiments for detecting gravitational wave are also mentioned.