The difficult birth of gravitational wave astronomy

Abstract

This chapter traces the sequence of discoveries which convinced physicists of the need to replace classical theories of light and matter. It is intended for readers who wish to learn how Einsteinian physics emerged through a sequence of discoveries that led the reader to the frontiers of current knowledge. The highlights the enormous struggle from which the revolutionary new understanding of the universe called Einsteinian physics emerged. Traditionally, quantum physics and general relativity have stood apart, separated by a fundamental mismatch between their language, their mathematics, and their structure. Einstein's conclusion made the conundrum of quantum physics quite clear. Photons behaved like particles with discrete energy. To provide some sense of a mechanism for understanding quantum behavior, Schrodinger and Bohr developed the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum physics. From a few small clues, Einstein and others realized that sound, heat, and light come in energy packets called phonons and photons.