Home▸Space & Astronomy▸Gravitational Wave Polarization 2D — Ring of Test Masses

Gravitational Wave Polarization 2D — Ring of Test Masses

A 2D canvas view of a ring of free-falling test masses stretching and squeezing as a plus- or cross-polarized gravitational wave passes through, computed directly from the linearized TT-gauge strain tensor with a tunable polarization angle, amplitude, and frequency.

Space & Astronomy2DModerate60 FPS📱 Mobile-adapted⇄ 3D version

General relativity predicts that a passing gravitational wave leaves the coordinate positions of free-falling test masses unchanged, but rhythmically distorts the proper distances between them — the classic "ring of test masses" thought experiment used to visualize the two independent tensor polarizations of a gravitational wave. This 2D canvas simulator computes that deformation directly from the linearized-gravity strain tensor and draws it flat, letting you dial a continuous polarization angle between the plus (+) and cross (×) patterns, adjust the (exaggerated) strain amplitude and frequency, and read off live values of h₊(t), h×(t), and the fractional arm-length change ΔL/L along two perpendicular axes — the same differential-length signal a laser interferometer detector measures.

⚙ Under the hood

A flat 2D canvas view of a ring of free-falling test masses stretching and squeezing as a plus- or cross-polarized gravitational wave passes through, computed directly from the linearized TT-gauge strain tensor with a tunable polarization angle, amplitude, and frequency.

gravitational wavesgeneral relativitypolarizationspacetimeLIGOastrophysics

2D · HTML5 Canvas 2D · 60 FPS target · runs fully client-side, no install