The laser gravitational compass: A spheroidal interferometric gravitational observatory

Abstract

Using the observational properties of Einstein’s gravitational field it is shown that a minimum of four non-coplanar mass probes are necessary for a Michelson and Morley interferometer to detect gravitational waves within the context of General Relativity. With fewer probes, some alternative theories of gravitation can also explain the observations. The conversion of the existing gravitational wave detectors to four probes is also suggested.