Using Gravity waves to see into a black hole?
Discussion
I have had an idea....Take three black holes...Two colliding together and another separate black hole in-between us and our view of the colliding black holes. During the collision the two black holes will produce gravity waves moving away from the collision (which we can measure), some of which will come towards us and pass through the third black hole....I think we would we be able to measure the distortion of those gravity waves passing through the third black hole to allow us some sort of insight into the inner workings of that third black hole?
I suppose I am thinking that there could be two scenarios.
1: The gravity waves are absorbed by the third black hole but some would still be bent around the event horizon, perhaps giving us some data not available by looking at light doing the same.
2: The gravity wave may be effected differently to how light waves are and perhaps some would pass through the black hole and emerge on the other side and continue to us.
I understand that number 2 would scientifically be unlikely but it's always good to think of these things!
1: The gravity waves are absorbed by the third black hole but some would still be bent around the event horizon, perhaps giving us some data not available by looking at light doing the same.
2: The gravity wave may be effected differently to how light waves are and perhaps some would pass through the black hole and emerge on the other side and continue to us.
I understand that number 2 would scientifically be unlikely but it's always good to think of these things!
Einion Yrth said:
Gravitational waves travel at the speed of light, what makes a black hole is the fact that its escape velocity is greater than the speed of light; ain't nothing passing "through" your black hole.
Would that apply in this situation though?Gravity waves are not 'matter' traveling at the speed of light, they are distortions of space-time (a little like a sound compression waves traveling through air).
[happy to be corrected on this]
It would be interesting to see if the black hole acts like an amplifier (in as much as a 'lense' effect), or a muffler on the waves (in as much as if the black hole is able to absorb the wave energy).
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