Research On The Early History Of Gravitational Wave Theory

Gravitational wave theory is a very important theory.Its appearance,development and maturity have gone through a long process.In this process,many scientists have made outstanding contributions to it.In 1776,Laplace suspected the instantaneous propagation of gravitation and calculated the speed of gravitational propagation.In 1865,Maxwell established the theory of electromagnetism.In 1893,Heaviside made an analogy between electromagnetic theory and gravitational theory.In 1905,Poincaré first proposed the terminology of gravitational waves.In 1916,Einstein demonstrated the existence of gravitational waves.Studying the early history of gravitational waves can clarify some specific historical facts in the early generation and development of gravitational wave theory,and promote people to have a more profound understanding of the gravitational wave theory.Based on the compilation,study,analysis of the original literatures and research literatures,this dissertation has used the chronicles,concept analysis,analogy and other methods to study the history of the early development of gravitational wave theory.Based on the five key figures,such as Laplace,Maxwell,Heaviside,Poincaré and Einstein,the history of the early development of gravitational wave theory was analyzed and studied in detail.The main research results and conclusions are as follows:1.This dissertation elaborate that the Laplace has first proposed to modify the instantaneous propagation of gravitation in Newton's theory of gravity,in order to explain the secular acceleration of the Moon.Laplace assumed that gravity was a simplified model of corpuscle propagation,and that the gravitational propagation velocity was calculated to be 7 million times as the speed of light.It was the beginning of the exploration of gravitational wave theory.2.This dissertation explained the basic electromagnetic theory of Maxwell.Because it is similar between the formulas of electromagnetic theory and gravitational theory.A great inspiration for the establishment of gravitational wave theory can be provided through the analogy between gravitational theory and electromagnetic theory.3.This dissertation explored Heaviside's paper that tried to explain gravity by the analogy between gravity and electromagnetism,in which he concluded that the gravitational velocity may be the same the speed of light.This is the first paper to be discovered seriously about the gravitational wave.4.This dissertation discussed that Poincaré has first proposed gravitational wave terminology,and pointed out that the gravitational wave propagation velocity is the speed of light,but he only proposed the conceptual gravitational waves,and still did not involve the essence of gravitational waves.5.This dissertation indicated that Einstein really proposed the gravitational waves that we now defined.Einstein demonstrated the existence of gravitational waves after completing the general theory of relativity.Previous scientists' research on gravitational wave theory was still limited to Newton's theory of gravity,and the first scientist to truly establish a more complete gravitational wave theory was Einstein.