Gravity waves are ripples in the fabric of space-time caused by the acceleration of massive objects, such as colliding black holes or supernova explosions.
Gravity waves are recorded using highly sensitive instruments called interferometers, which use laser beams to measure tiny distortions in space-time caused by passing gravity waves.
The noise floor in gravity wave detection refers to the level of background noise that interferes with the detection of gravity waves. This noise can come from a variety of sources, such as seismic activity, atmospheric disturbances, and technical limitations of the instruments.
Recording gravity waves over the noise floor is important because it allows scientists to accurately measure and study the properties of these waves. It also helps to distinguish between real gravity wave signals and false signals caused by noise.
Scientists use various techniques to reduce noise in gravity wave detection, such as shielding the instruments from external disturbances, actively canceling out noise signals, and analyzing data from multiple detectors to filter out noise.