German scientists have found a way to experimentally detect the existence of extra spatial dimensions. The corresponding study was published in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, briefly reported by the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Germany).
Scientists have found that the existence of additional spatial dimensions should affect the propagation of gravitational waves, in particular, the appearance of a disturbance different from the main one at a frequency above a thousand hertz. Experts note that the fundamental feature of gravity, in comparison with the other three known fundamental forces of nature, is its action in all space-time dimensions at once.
The observation of waves of such a high frequency, according to experts, is unlikely due to the low sensitivity of modern gravitational observatories, primarily LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory). On the other hand, the simultaneous observation of disturbances by several observatories, scientists believe, increases this probability. For example, the new Virgo gravitational detector should be operational in 2018.
Additional space-time dimensions are an integral part of the extensions of the Standard Model of elementary particle physics and string theory, in the latter the dimension of space-time is not a constant, but a dynamic variable. It is believed that the linear dimensions of the extra spatial dimensions are negligible with the observed three. The search for new measurements, including at particle accelerators, has not yet led to success.
For the first time, gravitational waves were detected by the LIGO observatory on September 14, 2015; by now, two more registrations of space-time disturbances are known. The existence of gravitational waves is predicted by the general theory of relativity and once again confirms its validity.