https://hackerpaper.kaipfister.de/p/2002.01519/Collected HN comments and submissions linking this paper.enMon, 02 Nov 2026 11:16:22 GMThttps://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36931362urn:hackerpapers:mention:2002.01519:36931362Sun, 30 Jul 2023 14:18:15 GMT<p>When you go to the extremes those tiny details suddenly aren&#x27;t tiny details anymore. As a semi-random example, a significant source of noise in LIGO, the gravitational wave detectors, is the push of photons striking the 40kg mirrors[1][2]. [1]: https://arstechnica.com/science/2020/07/ligo-is-so-sensitive... [2]: https://arxiv.org/abs/2002.01519</p><p><a href="https://hackerpaper.kaipfister.de/p/2002.01519/">Paper and discussion history</a>. A mention is not an endorsement.</p>quant-phhttps://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25472025urn:hackerpapers:mention:2002.01519:25472025Fri, 18 Dec 2020 21:06:57 GMT<p>Sensitive enough that the randomness in the photon pressure on the 40kg mirrors is a source of noise they have to contend with[1]: First, we observe that [quantum radiation pressure noise] contributes to the motion of the kilogram-scale mirrors of LIGO. This observation is also made in the Advanced Virgo GW detector. It is remarkable that quantum vacuum fluctuations can influence the motion of these macroscopic, human-scale objects, and that the effect is measured. This is quantum mechanics at its experimentally most macroscopic scale. There&#x27;s some great info in this[2] paper about the…</p><p><a href="https://hackerpaper.kaipfister.de/p/2002.01519/">Paper and discussion history</a>. A mention is not an endorsement.</p>quant-ph