Name: Anonymous 2008-11-11 14:51
According to Hogan, the noise is more likely to be seen in certain detectors, because the fuzziness gets translated into noise only in the plane of the underlying wavy two-dimensional fabric of spacetime. GEO600 is less sensitive to gravity waves than are detectors such as those in LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory), two similar, large L-shaped detectors in Washington and Louisiana. But Hogan says GEO600 is more sensitive to holographic noise, because its power is locked in a beamsplitter that amplifies the peculiar transverse quality of the fuzziness.
The idea for an essentially holographic Universe has gained traction in recent years, as string theorists have found ways to trim the 10 dimensions that their theories call for. A decade ago, Juan Maldacena, now of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, put forward the idea that most of the 10 dimensions can be reduced when the information is encoded, like a hologram, in three or four basic dimensions. "The ideas of holography in string theory are extremely well accepted," says Gary Horowitz of the University of California, Santa Barbara. He adds, however, that Hogan's ideas about holography don't use conventional starting points. "There is reason to be somewhat sceptical. I don't find the theoretical motivation totally convincing."
But Hogan's predictions are striking and specific enough to get the attention of the GEO600 staff. Hogan will travel to Hannover to work with GEO600 scientists such as Harald Lück, who is leading an effort to double the sensitivity of the machine by the end of 2009. That should mean that the instrumental noise also drops. But if most of the noise remains, then it could be a sign that it is due to holographic noise, which would be fundamental, and pervasive throughout the Universe. "If the noise is still there, we have to be serious" about the observations, says Lück.
http://www.nature.com/news/2008/081110/full/news.2008.1217.html?s=news_rss
What are your thoughts?
The idea for an essentially holographic Universe has gained traction in recent years, as string theorists have found ways to trim the 10 dimensions that their theories call for. A decade ago, Juan Maldacena, now of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, put forward the idea that most of the 10 dimensions can be reduced when the information is encoded, like a hologram, in three or four basic dimensions. "The ideas of holography in string theory are extremely well accepted," says Gary Horowitz of the University of California, Santa Barbara. He adds, however, that Hogan's ideas about holography don't use conventional starting points. "There is reason to be somewhat sceptical. I don't find the theoretical motivation totally convincing."
But Hogan's predictions are striking and specific enough to get the attention of the GEO600 staff. Hogan will travel to Hannover to work with GEO600 scientists such as Harald Lück, who is leading an effort to double the sensitivity of the machine by the end of 2009. That should mean that the instrumental noise also drops. But if most of the noise remains, then it could be a sign that it is due to holographic noise, which would be fundamental, and pervasive throughout the Universe. "If the noise is still there, we have to be serious" about the observations, says Lück.
http://www.nature.com/news/2008/081110/full/news.2008.1217.html?s=news_rss
What are your thoughts?