Visuals

Animations

Eot-Wash Pendulum Data: The data from the first Eot-Wash Pendulum showed that the inverse square law held true down to a distance of 1/5th of a millimeter, or 200 microns.

Eot-Wash Torsion Balance: The Eot-Wash Group redesigned the classic torsion balance, dramatically increasing its precision and pushing the boundaries of what could be measured.

Extra Dimensions: One possible scenario offered by theorists to explain the apparent weakness of gravity is that the universe is made up of more than three spatial dimensions.

Gravitational Attraction in Torsion Balance: The gravitational force between the pendulum and the attractor depends on the position of the holes.

LIGO Interferometer and Constructive Interference: When a gravitational wave reaches the interferometer, it will shrink one arm and stretch the other arm causing the laser beams to be slightly out of phase.

LIGO Interferometer and Destructive Interference: An interferometer splits a laser beam and then recombined it. If the waves are perfectly out of phase they cancel each other out—a phenomenon called "destructive interference."

LIGO Yardstick: This laser yardstick will be used to detect miniscule, fleeting changes in its overall measured length as gravitational waves sweep over it.

Measuring Gravity with Laser Light: To measure how strong gravity is between the two discs, laser light is bounced off the mirrors above the top pendulum disc.

Photographs

Apollo Mission Corner Cubes: Apollo mission astronauts deploy corner cube reflectors.

Bar Detector: Nautilus cryogenic antenna at the Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Italy.

LIGO Observatory: Aerial view of the LIGO Observatory at Hanford, Washington.

Star-Forming Region: Hubble Space Telescope image of a star-forming region in the Small Magellanic Cloud.

Supermassive Black Hole: As gas falls into this supermassive black hole, it emits x-rays.

Torsion Pendulum to Measure UFF: Torsion pendulum to test the universality of free fall.

Two Influential Scientists: Newton and Einstein: Portraits of Sir Isaac Newton (left) and Albert Einstein (right).

Graphics

Acceleration and Gravity: A person in an accelerating rocket feels the same downward pull as a person on Earth feels from gravity.

Bending of Light: Bending of light in an accelerating rocket.

Binary Pulsar Decay: Orbital period of the binary neutron star system PSR 1913+15 measured from 1975 to 2000.

Causal Dynamical Triangulation: Causal Dynamical Triangulation builds the spacetime in which we live from tiny triangles.

Classic Michelson Interferometer: The Michelson interferometer now finds application in a 21st century experiment: the search for gravitational waves. The diagram shows the original version of the instrument.

Curved Spacetime: Triangles on curved surfaces.

Electrostatic and Gravitational Shielding: Comparison of the shielding of electrostatic and gravitational forces.

Experimental Limits on ISL Violations: Experimental limits on the universality of free fall.

GRACE Mission: GRACE mission gravity map of the Earth.

Gravitational Attraction: Gravitational attraction between two spheres causes a tiny change in their positions.

Gravitational Waves: Distortion of space from a gravitational wave.

Helium Atom: Mass of a helium atom is not equal to the sum of its constituent parts.

LISA Satellites: Artist's conception of the LISA satellites in space.

Loop Quantum Gravity: Visualization of a stage in the quantum evolution of geometry, according to Loop Quantum Gravity.

Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation: Law of universal gravitation force diagram.

Short-Distance Gravity Test: Torsion pendulum to test the inverse square law of gravity at sub-millimeter distances.

Structure in the Universe: Simulations of structure formation in the universe show the influence of gravity and dark energy.

Tidal Water Level: Plot of the tidal Water Level (WL) at Port Townsend, Washington.

Torsion Balance to Measure G: Schematic of a torsion balance to measure the gravitational constant, G.

Twin Paradox: Time dilation/twin "paradox."

Uniform Gravitational Field: Equality of gravitational and inertial mass.