Gravitational Waves and Black Holes Quiz

When was the first official announcement of gravitational waves made?

• 2014

• 2015

• 2016

• 2017

What do colliding neutron stars and black holes produce?

• Radio waves

• Electromagnetic waves

• Gravitational waves

• Sound waves

What is the role of interferometers like LIGO and Virgo?

• To detect electromagnetic waves

• To measure the speed of light

• To detect minute wobbles in spacetime

• To observe distant galaxies

What was one of the improvements made to the detectors before the third observing run?

• More powerful lasers

• Increased tunnel length

• Additional mirrors

• New data storage systems

How many gravitational wave events were identified in the first half of the third observing run?

• 25

• 50

• 39

• 11

What significant discovery was made on May 21, 2019?

• First observation of a supermassive black hole

• First observation of a neutron star merger

• First directly observed intermediate black hole

• First detection of gravitational waves

What is the mass range of the newly discovered intermediate black hole?

• Between 10 and 50 solar masses

• Between 50 and 100 solar masses

• Between 100 and 150 solar masses

• Between 150 and 200 solar masses

What phenomenon is thought to prevent the formation of black holes between 65 and 120 solar masses?

• Quantum tunneling

• Photon scattering

• Pair-instability

• Neutron decay

Why was the second half of the third observing run cut short?

• Detector malfunction

• COVID-19 pandemic

• Lack of funding

• Technical issues

Which countries are expected to contribute data in future observing runs?

• Australia and Canada

• China and Russia

• Brazil and South Africa

• Japan and India