Are they saying that the frequency produced is the same as the note in the Elvis song or just that the ratio of the two notes in the song is the same as the ratio of the two frequencies detected?
I mean, I am not sure what the frequencies generated by orbiting black holes would be.. but ~260hz (middle C) sounds destructively fast to me so I'm guessing the latter. What is the orbital frequency likely to be here?
Just for folks that aren't familiar pulsars are spinning stars that can hold themselves together up to at least ~1khz. Here's what the signal sounds like coming from a few different ones (incl. 600hz range) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gb0P6x_xDEU
I believe it depends on the specifics of the merger, but my understanding is the reason black holes that orbit each other merge at all is because they bleed energy to gravitational waves. While they are at a reasonable distance, that's a very small amount of energy. I think some of these systems would be stable for billions of years.
Aw, sorry. I think I mis-interpreted your comment. I was thinking more of how long the system has been falling apart for. It didn't make sense to me that that could have been for billions of years, since the movement involved would be so slow?
`If the main frequency were a C on a piano, the overtone would be the next higher G—a perfect fifth, and the interval of the first two notes in the melody of Elvis Presley’s hit “I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You.”`
My read is that it's just saying that the first smaller frequency was the same ratio from the primary as G to C are in sound frequencies, so they're describing it as a similar interval as the first two notes, not as being literally the same tune.
I mean, I am not sure what the frequencies generated by orbiting black holes would be.. but ~260hz (middle C) sounds destructively fast to me so I'm guessing the latter. What is the orbital frequency likely to be here?