Scientists have just heard the ‘sound’ of a newly formed black hole for the first time ever! In compliance with Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity, the birth of a black hole will create ripples in space-time continuum, i.e. gravitational waves.
As described by MIT, the gravitational waves act similar to sound waves originating from a ringing bell. The gravitational waves will travel in all directions, traversing through the cosmos originating from the epicenter, the birth of the black hole. The gravitational waves from an infant star were detected and analyzed for the first time in a study published in Physical Review Letters.
The researchers were able to conclude that the waves did originate from a black hole as the cosmic body lacked observable properties like mass, spin and electric charge. By using the General Theory of Relativity, researchers were able to calculate mass and spin of the black hole based on the frequency of gravitational waves. The results of calculations aligned with the previous recorded data of 10 binary black hole systems detected by Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory(LIGO) and Virgo. The previously recorded gravitational waves were converted to sound waves which can be heard 'chirping'.
The lead author of the study Maximiliano Isi, from MIT's Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research said that, "We all expect general relativity to be correct, but this is the first time we have confirmed it in this way." The General Theory of Relativity is considered plausible and accepted by the scientific community . As it is based on postulates defined by Einstein so it cannot be proven with actual physical evidence or can it?