Tomsk physicist commented on the discovery of gravitational waves

TOMSK, Feb 12 – RIA Tomsk. Gravitational waves discovered by US scientists, are another confirmation of Einstein's gravitation  theory; this event became one of the greatest discoveries in physics, next largest after Higgs boson, professor of the Department of Experimental Physics at Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU) Sergey Yanin told RIA Tomsk.

On Thursday a group of scientists in the USA announced that they for the first time in history managed to fix the gravitational fluctuations predicted by theories of Albert Einstein about gravity.

"Imagine a trampoline. If we put the weight in the center of it, its surface will sag under its weight. This will be two-dimensional model of space-time curvature. If on edge of this trampoline we put a tennis ball it will roll down to the weight. If you let the ball on the trampoline tangentially, it will revolve around the weight – as the planets around the Sun" – Yanin told.

That is, bodies interact not directly, but namely through a space curvature. If we knock on the trampoline, on its surface will run "ripples" – like an analogue of the gravitational wave. However till now it was not possible to fix them, although the experiments on gravitational waves registration are carried out for a long time.

According to the professor, the reason is that scientists until recently did not have sufficiently sensitive equipment, and the events causing powerful gravitational waves, in the Universe is not so often occur.

"In accordance with modern representations, all known interactions in physics (except gravitational) associated with the exchange of "special" particles. For example, for electromagnetic interaction it is a virtual photon.

In this plan gravitational interaction stays independently, its nature in a space curvature by massive bodies. By the way, the origin of weight of substance is associated with the Higgs field, and the corresponding particle – the Higgs boson has been found some years ago", – the interlocutor of agency added.

He explained that current discovery carries exclusively fundamental value and expands our knowledge of the Universe system. Too early to speak about applied application, but further it can appear.