First Impressions about the LIGO Observation of a Gravitational Signal

I had hoped that the shape of the signal would be clear enough to falsify either GR or QGD, but we will have to wait for more data and for a third gravitational observatory to pin point the location of the source of the next event and compare it to electromagnetic signals from the same source.

First impressions (detailed analysis to follow).

1. The signal is much larger than GR simulations predict for an event located at 1.6 billion light years from us. It should be something like 50 times smaller in amplitude, but this larger amplitude is consistent with QGD equation for gravity. The first part of the signal shows how much larger than predicted by GR

and

2. when we look closely at the part that is closer to predictions, we see reduction in amplitude as frequency increases. This again is in agreement with QGD’s prediction for instantaneous tidal effect.

That said, the observed signal is the first and only one we have and the amplitude of a signal may be affected by factors such as the rotation of the plane on which lies the orbits of the black holes (or whatever system caused it).

Don’t get me wrong. This is an amazing achievement, but still, in itself, the signal doesn’t prove that gravitational waves exist. We’ll have to wait a little longer for that.