Gravitational Waves and Nuclear Physics Quiz

What significant event did LIGO announce on June 15?

• The detection of a gravitational wave

• The discovery of a new planet

• The discovery of a new galaxy

• The launch of a new satellite

What was the mass of the black holes involved in the first gravitational wave detection?

• 40 times the mass of the Sun

• 20 times the mass of the Sun

• 10 times the mass of the Sun

• 30 times the mass of the Sun

How long did the signal from the second gravitational wave detection last?

• 1/10 of a second

• 3 seconds

• 2 seconds

• 1 second

What is the probability that the December signal was due to random noise?

• One in 10 billion

• One in 20 billion

• One in a billion

• One in a million

What does the detection of gravitational waves validate?

• The theory of evolution

• The big bang theory

• The theory of general relativity

• Newton's laws of motion

What future events are expected to be detected by LIGO?

• Formation of new stars

• Mergers of neutron stars

• Collisions of galaxies

• Eclipses of the Sun

What was the half-life of the polonium-212 nucleus used in the challenge question?

• 0.2 microseconds

• 0.1 microseconds

• 0.3 microseconds

• 0.4 microseconds

How far did the alpha particle tunnel in the challenge question?

• 10 femtometers

• 20 femtometers

• 30 femtometers

• 40 femtometers

What is the probability of the alpha particle tunneling on each encounter?

• 10 to the power of minus 12

• 10 to the power of minus 10

• 10 to the power of minus 15

• 10 to the power of minus 18

What should winners of the challenge question do to claim their prize?

• Visit the LIGO website

• Email their details

• Call the LIGO office

• Send a letter