Grav Wave Grid

The Grav Wave Grid shows two black holes spiralling into each other on a sheet of spacetime. Their gravity pinches the grid lines into two wells, and as they orbit they send out spiral waves that ripple the lattice. The orbit tightens and speeds up, the waves rise in pitch, the two merge in a soft flash, and the remnant rings down before a new pair fades in and the cycle starts again.

How it works

The grid is the familiar rubber-sheet picture of gravity: masses sink the sheet and pull the lines toward them. On top, the outgoing waves are computed from the orbit as it was when the wave left it, so the spiral arms trail behind the pair exactly as a real wave pattern would. The crests of the waves glow, and the lines brighten where the stretch is strongest. Far from the centre the lines dissolve into an even tone rather than flickering.

Settings

• Strain is the wave strength; 0 leaves only the static wells.
• Chirp Time is the length of one full cycle, from inspiral through merger to ringdown.
• Wave Speed sets how fast the ripples travel and so how tightly the spiral is wound.
• Mass Ratio makes one black hole lighter than the other, changing the orbit and the waves.

Use it for

Space and physics explainers, sci-fi floors, astronomy brands and dramatic intros. Pair it with the Black Hole effect or the Lensing Grid.