Salteño Marcos Ramirez says that since man became interested in astronomy and always liked mathematics. Curiosity led him to take courses at the National University of Salta (UNSA) while in high school. Marcos
vocation was defined before starting the stage of the faculty. Now holds a degree in physics and a doctorate in general relativity. He works as a postdoctoral fellow Conicet at the Faculty of Mathematics, Astronomy and Physics (FaMAF) of the National University of Cordoba, where they reside but soon leave. In a few months he will return to his native land to start new work because it was appointed assistant researcher at CONICET in UNSa.
After verification of the existence of gravitational waves, Albert Einstein predicted those 100 years ago, physicists are more than excited. “This allows us to observe very violent cosmos events that occur within seconds or minutes that had no access before, such as collision and merger of two black holes. This is precisely what was observed,” said the researcher.
What are gravitational waves? How would you describe them?
According to Einstein’s general relativity, space and time are two aspects of the same entity, which we call space-time, which it is the set of all places and all times where things happened, happen and will happen.
Gravitational waves are disturbances of the geometry of this space-time that spread from one place to another at the speed of light. If space-time outside the surface of a pond, these waves would be like small waves traveling through this area; They are like small wrinkles travelers the very structure of space.
If we were observing a crossed by one of these waves object, and if it is strong enough, we would observe that it is deformed in an oscillating manner: stretch it in one direction and then in another perpendicular to the first, successively, as the wave pass. We could also think of them as small vibrations from the cosmos that affect everything they cross, something like music of the stars.
carry energy?
Like any wave transports energy through space. In principle the same are generated all the time.
Almost any massive object in motion generate, including our bodies, but in general the energy they carry is so small that its effect is absolutely negligible. They are an important factor only in certain astronomical events involving the formation of a collision, much more massive than our sun, or in the early stages of the universe very massive objects.
With the detection of such waves is said to have opened a new era in cosmology, why?
More than the opening of a new era in cosmology, which is possible but is not sure that is the inauguration of a whole new branch of astronomy .: gravitational wave astronomy
Almost everything we know about the universe, so far, it comes from the light that reaches us; light in the broad sense. What our eyes perceive is only a small portion of the so-called electromagnetic spectrum that includes X-rays, ultraviolet, infrared and radio waves. Gravitational radiation detectors are new eyes to observe the cosmos, which could fundamentally change our conception of the universe. Observing these waves can know details of black holes and neutron stars, objects still quite mysterious. It allows us to observe the cosmos very violent events that occur within seconds or minutes, which we had no access before, such as collision and merger of two black holes.
Why LIGO was built, the building to detect them? This discovery, will impact our daily lives?
LIGO (by the acronym Observatory Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave) is a pair of giant interferometers located 3,000 kilometers apart, in opposite points of the United States. Each of these interferometers an array of mirrors is L-shaped, with arms 4 kilometers, within ducts where an almost perfect vacuum, through which pass laser light beams is maintained. The instrument is sensitive to small changes in the distance between the mirrors, even minor shifts detects the size of an atomic nucleus. building something sophisticated proved necessary to detect these waves, because even in the most intense events, the effect they would have on earth is incredibly small. Is that these events often occur hundreds or billions of light years away.
From the scientific, predicting the existence of gravitational waves was always one of the big bills pending in the observational test of general relativity . For those who are dedicated to this branch of physics it seems essential to because it gives us confidence in our understanding of the universe and allows us to explore objects and phenomena that we were invisible before. It is known that for governments to fund experiments on this scale, pure knowledge is never sufficient reason. In this, as in others which are invested hundreds of millions of dollars, the investment is mostly in technological development. It is about building a single device, innovative, involving engineering challenges. It is the resolution of these challenges which can bring a benefit to the community. It is very difficult to know how these developments will impact on everyday life, perhaps take decades until we know
Dr. Gabriela González is Argentina and was the spokeswoman of this discovery, but the project hundreds of scientists participated. What was the collaboration of Argentina in the LIGO project?
Gabriela González is a graduate of the Faculty where I currently work, the Faculty of Mathematics, Astronomy and Physics (FaMAF) of the National University of Cordoba. Here there is a research group devoted to the study of the theory of relativity and has close links with other groups directly involved in the development of LIGO, including Louisiana State University (where Gabriela Gonzalez works) and the University of Texas at Brownsville (where Mario Diaz works, graduated from the FaMAF). While no academic institution Argentina participated in the construction and operation of LIGO, several researchers in the country that contributed to modeling astrophysical processes that generate these waves, which is critical for data analysis.
With the appointment of Conicet at the National University of Salta, what kind of research will face here?
In September last year left the resolution designating me as an assistant researcher at CONICET, ie, in the first ranks as plant scientist. The proposed work plan has to do with theories involving many dimensions, more specifically to the study of potentially observable cosmological scale of the existence of extra dimensions consequences. It is purely theoretical research, and while it is within the framework of Einstein’s relativity, in my work proposal also intend to study other more general theories. Still no appointment became effective. You may leave in April, but is not sure. In the community there are rumors that, with the change of government, the appointment will take longer than usual.
What was it that caught his interest in physics in the workshop professor Daniel Cordoba dictates?
From childhood I was interested in astronomy and I always liked mathematics. Curiosity led me to take courses at the university. I think my vocation was already defined before starting the secondary. I discovered that what I was interested in astronomy was actually physics, the fundamental principles that help us understand the universe. And in the workshop of Daniel I learned, above all, to solve problems, and deepen many concepts.
in Salta Puna
in the Salta Puna there, near Tolar Grande, the robotic telescope Toros, recently built and implemented by the IATE (Institute of Theoretical Astronomy and Experimental, under the Conicet and UNC) and the University of Texas at Brownsville.
This is a place with excellent viewing conditions in the Macón hill.
This telescope is part of a network of computers that help detect the “visible counterpart” of events gravitational radiation emission. That is, are telescopes in different parts of the world in constant communication with receivers LIGO pointing to a particular region of the sky, well there are warning detection of gravitational waves. What is observed in this region of the sky at the time can give very important information about the event happened. This is another form of local cooperation.
About Marcos Ramirez
Data sheet
His specialty is general relativity. He completed his doctorate in the area at the Faculty of Mathematics, Astronomy and Physics (FaMAF) of the National University of Cordoba in 2012. He worked on the stability of exact solutions of Einstein’s equations, which have to do with their suitability to different systems astrophysical and cosmological. “It’s a very technical work, bordering on mathematical physics. Two of my works have to do with gravitational waves,” said the scientist.
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