The hunt for EXTRA DIMENSIONS begins: ESA approves gravitational wave-chasing spacecraft for 2034 - and it could help us find parallel universes

• Ripples in the fabric of space and time are called gravitational waves
• ESA has approved a trio of gravitational wave hunting satellites for 2034
• The satellites will orbit the sun in a triangular formation while firing lasers
• Gravitational waves will make tiny changes to the distances between the lasers
• An extra dimension would change the way gravitational waves stretch space 
• If these changes can be detected, it could help discover an extra dimension

By Harry Pettit For Mailonline

The existence of parallel universes within an unseen dimension has long been one of the universe's biggest 'what ifs'.

Now the European Space Agency (EA) has approved a mission that will hunt for gravitational waves - mysterious space-time disturbances that could finally prove the existence of extra dimensions.

Physicists think that unknown dimensions could cause ripples through reality by modifying these gravitational waves.

Since gravity is likely to occupy all dimensions that exist, its waves are a promising way to detect unknown dimensions.

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The LISA mission (artist's impression), now scheduled for 2034, will be made up of three identical satellites separated by 2.5 million km (1.5 million miles) in a triangular formation. The craft will follow Earth in its orbit around the sun while firing lasers between one another

In search of these waves, ESA has now given its Laser Interferometer Space Antenna mission (LISA) the green light for 2034 after decades of development and delays.

'I think there's a mixture of super-excitement and "at last",' Professor Mark McCaughrean, ESA's senior adviser for science & exploration, told New Scientist.

'We're finally over the starting line – it's great.'

LISA will be made up of three identical satellites, separated by 2.5 million km (1.5 million miles) in a triangular formation, that will follow Earth in its orbit around the sun.

The three craft will beam powerful lasers between one another as they search for ripples in space-time caused by gravitational waves.

The LISA satellites will read how these waves warp space by detecting tiny changes in the distances the laser beams travel.

Gravitational waves are often created by by celestial objects with very strong gravity, such as pairs of merging black holes.

The primary targets for LISA's observations will be merging supermassive black holes, Professor McCaughrean said, in a bid to better understand the powerful celestial bodies.

This is not the first time that scientists have delved into the origins of gravitational waves. 

Earlier this year, researchers suggested that gravitational waves could also be evidence of an unseen, extra dimension.

The LISA satellites (artist's impression) will read how gravitational waves warp space by detecting tiny changes in the distances the laser beams travel

While scientists don't yet have the technology to prove this, by 2034 LISA could provide a route to testing ripples in space-time for evidence of parallel universes.

Speaking to New Scientist last month, Gustavo Lucena Gomez, who is leading a study into extra dimensions at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics in Potsdam, Germany, said: 'If there are extra dimensions in the universe, then gravitational waves can walk along any dimension, even the extra dimensions.'

Gravity is weaker than other fundamental forces, and experts have long wondered whether this is because some of it is escaping into an extra dimension.

The German team set out to calculate how an extra dimension would affect gravitational waves, and found two strange effects – extra waves at high frequencies, and a change in how gravitational waves stretch space.

As gravitational waves move through an extra dimension, the researchers found that they should generate a 'tower' of extra gravitational waves with higher frequencies.

But observatories are currently unable to detect frequencies that high, and instead focus on lower frequency gravitational waves.

Unknown dimensions could cause ripples through reality by modifying gravitational waves - changes in the space-time fabric. Since gravity is likely to occupy all dimensions that exist, its waves are a promising way to detect unknown dimensions (artist's impression)

Physicists think that unknown dimensions could cause ripples through reality by modifying gravitational waves - changes in the space-time fabric. These waves can also be triggered by two colliding planets or black holes (artist's impression)

This could make spotting the gravitational wave towers a challenge.

But detecting the change in how gravitational waves stretch space could be easier, according to the researchers.

Dr Lucena Gomez said: 'If extra dimensions are in our universe, this would stretch or shrink space-time in a different way that standard gravitational waves would never do.'

Gravitational waves stretch space as they ripple through the universe a bit like a rubber band – the ellipse gets longer in one direction and shorter in the other, before returning to its original shape.

The targets for LISA's observations will be merging supermassive black holes in a bid to better understand the powerful celestial bodies (artist's impression) but it could eventually be used to test ripples in space time for signs of an extra dimension

The existence of parallel universes within an unseen dimension has long been one of the universe's biggest 'what ifs' (stock image)

But an extra dimension could add another way for gravitational waves to stretch space, called a breathing mode.

In the same way that lungs expand as you breathe, gravitational waves cause space to expand and contract, in addition to stretching.

Dr Lucena Gomez said: 'With more detectors we will be able to see whether this breathing mode is happening.'

Dr Emilian Dudas, from the Ecole Polytechnique in France told New Scientist: 'Extra dimensions have been discussed for a long time from different points of view.

'Gravitational waves could be a new twist on looking for extra dimensions.'  

Read more:

• Gravitational waves could show hints of extra dimensions | New Scientist
• ESA approves gravitational-wave hunting spacecraft for 2034 | New Scientist

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