Cento anni dopo, la prova che Einstein aveva ragione: squadre di ricercatori internazionali hanno comunicato oggi (giovedì) di aver osservato per la prima volta il 14 settembre l'esistenza di onde gravitazionali. L'annuncio è stato dato in contemporanea a Washington e a Cascina presso Pisa, dove si trova uno degli strumenti in grado di rilevarle. Il più famoso fisico della storia, la cui teoria della relatività generale compie quest'anno un secolo, era stato il primo a ipotizzare l'esistenza delle onde.
Si tratta di increspature dello spazio-tempo generate da eventi cosmici violenti che si propagano alla velocità della luce. Nel caso specifico l'evento che le ha prodotte è l'incontro, 1,3 miliardi di anni fa, fra due buchi neri dalla massa decine di volte superiore a quella del nostro Sole.
Permetteranno di capire meglio la formazione delle galassie
La scoperta è considerata dagli astrofisici e dagli astronomi di tale importanza da rivoluzionare le rispettive discipline. Seguire le radiazioni della gravità, la forza che controlla l'universo, permetterà infatti di osservare fenomeni finora invisibili (come i buchi neri stessi, la cui esistenza era finora solo dedotta) e di capire meglio la formazione delle galassie.
Dal TG20:
11.02.2016: Scoperte le onde gravitazionali
11.02.2016: L'opinione del fisico
pon/AP/ANSA/REuters/ATS
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