He aha nā nalu umekaumaha a me kā lākou ʻike ʻana
ʻO nā nalu umekaumaha kekahi o nā ʻike kupanaha loa i ka physics hou no ka mea hāʻawi lākou i nā kānaka i kahi "ala hou" e nānā ai i ke ao holoʻokoʻa. ʻOiai ua hilinaʻi mua ka ʻike honua i ka mālamalama—mai ka mālamalama ʻike ʻia, ka lekiō, ka infrared, a i nā kukuna X—ʻae nā nalu umekaumaha iā mākou e lohe i nā "haʻalulu" o ka lewa a me ka manawa ponoʻī. ʻAʻole wale kēia hanana he kumumanaʻo; ua ʻike pololei ʻia nā nalu umekaumaha, e wehe ana i kahi mokuna hou i ka noiʻi cosmic, ʻoi aku hoʻi e pili ana i nā mea koʻikoʻi e like me nā lua ʻeleʻele a me nā hōkū neutron.
He aha nā nalu umekaumaha?
I ka ʻōlelo maʻalahi, ʻo nā nalu umekaumaha he mau ʻale a i ʻole "nā nalu" e laha ana ma o ka manawa-lewa ma muli o ka wikiwiki o kahi nuipa nui loa. Hoʻomaka ke kumumanaʻo o ka manawa-lewa mai ke Kumumanaʻo Nui o ka Relativity a Albert Einstein (1915), ka mea e nānā ana i ka umekaumaha ʻaʻole he mana hoʻowalewale, e like me ka physics Newtonian, akā he piʻo o ka manawa a me ka lewa ma muli o ke alo o ka nuipa a me ka ikehu. Ke neʻe nā nuipa nui ma kekahi mau ʻano—no ka laʻana, ʻelua mau lua ʻeleʻele e wili ana kekahi i kekahi—e loli ka piʻo o ka manawa-lewa me ka ikaika a hoʻopuka i nā haunaele e laha ana ma nā ʻaoʻao a pau. Ua kapa ʻia kēia mau haunaele he mau nalu umekaumaha.
Holo nā nalu umekaumaha me ka wikiwiki o ka mālamalama. Eia nō naʻe, he liʻiliʻi loa ko lākou hopena i nā mea a lākou e hele ai. E noʻonoʻo i ʻelua mau kiko i hoʻokahi kilomita ke kaʻawale: hiki i kahi nalu umekaumaha e hele ana ke hoʻololi i kēlā mamao ma lalo o ke anawaena o kahi proton. No laila, ʻoiai ua puni ka manaʻo mai ka hoʻomaka ʻana o ke kenekulia 20, pono ia i ka ʻenehana loea loa e hōʻoia i ia mea.
Nā kumu o nā nalu umekaumaha ma ke ao holoʻokoʻa
ʻAʻole nā neʻe nuipa a pau e hana i nā nalu umekaumaha hiki ke ana ʻia. ʻO nā hanana o kēlā me kēia lā e like me ke kaʻa e neʻe ana a i ʻole ke kanaka e holo ana e hoʻopuka maoli i nā nalu umekaumaha, akā ua liʻiliʻi loa ko lākou mau amplitude e ʻike ʻia. ʻO nā nalu umekaumaha i ʻike ʻia e puka pinepine mai nā hanana cosmic e pili ana i nā nuipa nui, nā wikiwiki nui, a me ka neʻe ʻana asymmetric.
ʻO kekahi o nā kumu nui o nā nalu umekaumaha:
1. Hoʻohui ʻia ʻana o ka lua ʻeleʻele
ʻElua mau lua ʻeleʻele e kaapuni ana e nalowale ana ka ikehu ma o nā nalu umekaumaha, e emi ana ko lākou mau kaapuni, a i ka hopena e kuʻi a hui pū lākou. E hoʻopuka kēia hanana i kahi hōʻailona nalu umekaumaha ikaika.
2. Ka hui ʻana o nā hōkū neutron
ʻO ka hōkū neutron ka ʻiwi koʻikoʻi o kahi hōkū nui. Ke hui pū ʻia nā hōkū neutron ʻelua, me ka hoʻopuka ʻana i nā nalu umekaumaha, hiki i kēia hanana ke hoʻopuka i ka mālamalama ma nā nalu like ʻole a hoʻopuka i nā mea kaumaha e like me ke gula.
3. Nā Supernovae a me nā pahū hōkū nui
ʻO ka hiolo ʻana o ke kikowaena o kahi hōkū i kekahi manawa he ʻano like ʻole a hiki ke hoʻopuka i nā nalu umekaumaha, ʻoiai he mea paʻakikī loa ka ʻike ʻana iā lākou.
4. Ka wili kūpono ʻole o nā hōkū neutron
Inā wili kahi hōkū neutron me kahi "puʻupuʻu" iki a i ʻole ke ʻano ʻē, hiki iā ia ke hoʻokuʻu mau i nā nalu umekaumaha.
5. Nā nalu umekaumaha mua
Aia kekahi kuhiakau e ke ao holoʻokoʻa Ua hoʻopuka nā pae mua i nā nalu umekaumaha i "paʻa" i loko o ke kua o ka cosmic. Inā ʻike ʻia, hiki i kēia ke hāʻawi i nā hōʻailona e pili ana i nā kekona mua ma hope Ekahi.
Mai ke kumumanaʻo o Einstein a hiki i ka hōʻike mua
Ua wānana ʻo Einstein i nā nalu umekaumaha i ka makahiki 1916 (a ua hoʻomaʻemaʻe iā lākou i ka makahiki 1918) ma muli o nā kaulike o ka General Relativity. Akā no nā makahiki he ʻumi, ua hoʻopaʻapaʻa nā kānaka ʻepekema inā he ʻoiaʻiʻo nā nalu umekaumaha a i ʻole he mau mea makemakika wale nō. Loaʻa ka paʻakikī mai ka ʻoiaʻiʻo he loli ka manawa ākea; ʻaʻole maʻalahi ka hoʻomaopopo ʻana i ka mea "maoli" hiki ke ana ʻia.
Ua kū mai kahi huli koʻikoʻi i ka waena o ke kenekulia 20 i ka wā i ulu ai ke kumumanaʻo o ka relativity a hoʻomaka nā physicists e hoʻomaopopo he lawe nā nalu umekaumaha i ka ikehu maoli. Inā nalowale kahi ʻōnaehana i ka ikehu ma ka hoʻopuka ʻana i nā nalu umekaumaha, a laila pono e loli kona orbit a i ʻole ka neʻe ʻana ma ke ʻano hiki ke ana ʻia.
Nā hōʻike pololei ʻole: nā pulsars binary Hulse-Taylor
I ka makahiki 1974, ua ʻike ʻelua mau mea kilo hōkū—ʻo Russell Hulse lāua ʻo Joseph Taylor—i kahi ʻōnaehana pulsar binary i kapa ʻia ʻo PSR B1913+16. ʻO nā pulsars he mau hōkū neutron e hoʻopuka ana i nā hōʻailona lekiō manawa e like me nā "hale kukui." I loko o kahi ʻōnaehana binary, hoʻopuni kahi pulsar i kahi hōkū neutron ʻē aʻe. ʻO ka mea kupanaha, ke emi mālie nei ka wā orbital o kēia ʻōnaehana: ke neʻe kokoke nei nā mea ʻelua.
Ua kūlike loa kēia emi ʻana me nā wānana o ka General Relativity e pili ana i ka nalowale o ka ikehu ma o nā nalu umekaumaha. Hāʻawi kēia i nā hōʻike ikaika loa e pili ana i nā nalu umekaumaha. No kēia ʻike ʻana, ua loaʻa iā Hulse lāua ʻo Taylor ka makana Nobel ma Physics i ka makahiki 1993.
ʻIke pololei: LIGO a me ka "lohe" ʻana i nā kuʻi ʻana o nā lua ʻeleʻele
ʻOiai nā hōʻike pololei ʻole, ke alualu nei nā kānaka ʻepekema i ka ʻike pololei: ka hopu ʻana i nā nalu umekaumaha i ko lākou hele ʻana ma ka Honua. Ke kū nei kēia hana i nā pilikia koʻikoʻi no ka mea he liʻiliʻi loa ka nui o nā nalu. ʻO ka hopena, ʻo ia ka hoʻohana ʻana i kahi interferometer laser, kahi mea hiki ke ana i nā loli liʻiliʻi loa o ka mamao.
Pehea e hana ai ʻo LIGO?
He papahana nui ʻo LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) ma ʻAmelika Hui Pū ʻIa me ʻelua mau hale nui: hoʻokahi ma Hanford, Wakinekona, a hoʻokahi ma Livingston, Louisiana. Loaʻa i kēlā me kēia he lima interferometer 4 kilomita ka lōʻihi. Ua māhele ʻia ke kukuna laser i ʻelua mau kukuna e hele ana i mua a i hope ma nā lima, a laila hui hou. Ke hele kahi nalu umekaumaha, hoʻololi iki ia i ka lōʻihi o nā lima, e hana ana i kahi ʻano hoʻopilikia i hiki ke ana ʻia a hoʻololi ʻia.
He mea koʻikoʻi ka loaʻa ʻana o ʻelua mau mea ʻike ma nā wahi like ʻole e hōʻoia i ka hōʻailona i ʻike ʻia ʻaʻole ma muli o ke komo ʻana o kahi kūloko (e like me kahi ōlaʻi liʻiliʻi, ka haʻalulu o ke kaʻa, a i ʻole nā mea pili i ke kaiapuni). Inā ʻike nā mea ʻike ʻelua i kahi ʻano kūlike me kahi lohi manawa kūpono, ʻoi aku ka nui o ka hōʻailona he nalu umekaumaha mai ka lewa.
ʻIke mua ʻia: GW150914
Ma Kepakemapa 14, 2015, ua ʻike ʻo LIGO i kahi hōʻailona i kapa ʻia ma hope ʻo GW150914. Ua hoʻomaka kēia hōʻailona mai ka hui ʻana o ʻelua mau lua ʻeleʻele me nā nui ma kahi o ʻumi manawa o ka nui o ka Lā, e hana ana ma mua o hoʻokahi piliona mau makahiki māmā mai ka Honua. Ua hoʻopuka kēia hanana i kahi "chirp": kahi piʻi wikiwiki o ka alapine a me ka amplitude i hiki i kahi kiʻekiʻe i ka hui ʻana o nā lua ʻeleʻele ʻelua, a laila emi iho.
Ua hana ʻia ka hoʻolaha kūhelu i Pepeluali 2016 a ua hoʻohanohano koke ʻia ʻo ia he hanana koʻikoʻi. ʻAʻole wale kēia ʻike i hōʻoia pololei i nā nalu umekaumaha, akā ua hōʻailona pū kekahi i ka ʻike pololei mua ʻana o kahi ʻōnaehana lua ʻeleʻele binary.
No kā lākou mau hāʻawi nui iā LIGO, ua hāʻawi ʻia ka 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics iā Rainer Weiss, Barry C. Barish, a me Kip S. Thorne.
No ke aha he mea nui ka ʻike ʻana i nā nalu umekaumaha?
ʻO ka ʻike ʻana i nā nalu umekaumaha ua kapa pinepine ʻia ʻo ia ka hoʻomaka ʻana o ke au o ka ʻike hōkū nalu umekaumaha. Aia kekahi mau kumu he mea hoʻokahuli kēia:
1. Ke wehe nei i nā "manaʻo" hou e nānā i ke ao holoʻokoʻa
ʻAʻole hoʻopuka ka nui o nā mea o ke ao holoʻokoʻa, e like me nā lua ʻeleʻele, i ka mālamalama i ʻike maʻalahi ʻia. ʻAe nā nalu umekaumaha iā mākou e aʻo pololei i kēia mau mea ma o ko lākou hopena ma ka manawa ākea.
2. Ke hoʻāʻo ʻana i ka relativity laulā ma lalo o nā kūlana koʻikoʻi
ʻO ka hui ʻana o nā lua ʻeleʻele e pili ana i ka umekaumaha ikaika loa a me nā wikiwiki kiʻekiʻe loa. He hale hoʻokolohua kūlohelohe lākou no ka hoʻāʻo ʻana i nā kumumanaʻo a Einstein ma nā kūlana koʻikoʻi e paʻakikī ke hana hou ma ka Honua.
3. E hoʻomaopopo i ke kumu o nā mea kaumaha
Ua hōʻike ʻia ka hui ʻana o nā hōkū neutron e pili ana i ka hoʻokumu ʻia ʻana o nā mea kaumaha ma o ke kaʻina hana r (hopu neutron wikiwiki). Kōkua kēia i ka pane ʻana i ka nīnau: mai hea mai nā neutrons? ke kumu o ke gula a me ka platinum ma ke ao holoʻokoʻa?
4. Ke palapala ʻāina ʻana i ka heluna kanaka o nā lua ʻeleʻele a me nā hōkū neutron
Me nā ʻike he nui, hiki i nā kānaka ʻepekema ke ana i ka hoʻolaha nuipa, nā helu hui ʻana, a me ka mōʻaukala hoʻokumu ʻia ʻana o kēia mau mea paʻa.
Pani
ʻO nā nalu umekaumaha he mau ʻale i ka manawa ākea i wānana ʻia e Einstein ma mua o hoʻokahi kenekulia i hala aku nei a ua hōʻoia hope ʻia ma o nā hōʻike pololei ʻole i nā pulsars binary a me ka ʻike pololei ʻana e LIGO i ka makahiki 2015. ʻAʻole wale kēia ʻike he hoʻokō loea, akā he hoʻololi i ke ʻano o ka nānā ʻana o ke kanaka i ke ao holoʻokoʻa: hiki iā mākou ke "hoʻolohe" i ke ao holoʻokoʻa, ʻaʻole wale e ʻike. I ka ulu ʻana o nā mea ʻike hou a me nā hui pū honua (e like me Virgo ma ʻEulopa, KAGRA ma Iapana, a me ka LISA i hoʻolālā ʻia ma ka lewa), manaʻo ʻia e ʻoi aku ka waiwai o ka wā e hiki mai ana o ka astronomy nalu umekaumaha, e hoʻokokoke mai ana iā mākou i nā pane i nā mea pohihihi nui loa o ke ao holoʻokoʻa.
