Atomic clocks in space could detect gravitational waves
Clocks in space: narrowband gravitational-wave detector could take off. A proposal for a gravitational-wave detector made of two space-based atomic clocks has been unveiled by physicists in the US. The scheme involves placing two atomic clocks in different locations around the Sun and using them to measure tiny shifts in the frequency of a laser beam shone from one clock to the other. The designers claim that the detector will complement the LISA space-based gravitational-wave detector, which is expected to launch in 2034.
Gravitational waves are ripples in the fabric of space–time that are created when masses are accelerated. In February of this year, the LIGO collaboration announced the first-ever direct detection of gravitational waves – from the merger of two black holes – using a pair of kilometer -sized interferometers in the US. Just last week, a second detection was announced by LIGO from a different black-hole merger.
Now, Shimon Kolkowitz and Jun Ye of JILA in Colorado have joined forces with Mikhail Lukin and colleagues at Harvard University to come up with a proposal for detecting gravitational waves using two space-based atomic clocks. Each device would be an optical-lattice atomic clock, which is an extremely precise timekeeper that uses the frequency of an atomic transition to measure time. The atoms are trapped within a 1D optical lattice that is a standing wave created by reflecting laser light from a mirror. This is a very effective way of shielding the atoms from external noise that can degrade clock performance.
译文：
在太空中的原子钟可以探测到引力波
太空中的时钟：窄带引力波探测器可以起飞。由两个空间原子钟制成的引力波探测器的提议在美国的物理学家们已经公布了。该计划涉及到在太阳周围的不同位置放置两个原子钟，并用它们来测量激光束在一个时钟到另一个时钟频率的微小变化。设计师们声称，探测器将补充丽莎空间的引力波探测器，预计将于2034发射。
引力波是空间织物中的波纹，是当加速时产生的时间。在今年二月，LIGO合作宣布有史以来第一次直接探测引力波的–从两个黑洞合并–双公里大小的干涉仪在美国。刚刚过去的一周，第二检测宣布LIGO从不同的黑洞合并。
现在， Shimon Kolkowitz和Jun Ye在罗拉多州JILA联手与米哈伊尔卢金和同事在哈佛大学拿出一个用两个太空原子钟探测引力波的建议。每个装置将光学晶格中的原子钟，这是一个非常精确的计时器，利用测量时间的原子跃迁频率。原子被囚禁在一个一维的光晶格中，这是一个由反射镜反射激光产生的驻波的驻波。这是一个非常有效的方法，屏蔽了从外部噪声，可以降低时钟性能的原子。
在美国的物理学家们已经公布了由两个空间原子钟制成的引力波探测器的提议。该计划涉及到在太阳周围的不同位置放置两个原子钟，并用它们来测量激光束在一个时钟到另一个时钟频率的微小变化。设计师们声称，探测器将补充丽莎空间的引力波探测器，预计将于2034发射。
翻译过程：
这篇文章是关于物理学太空原子钟的文章。考虑到翻译的严谨性，所以我选择的是英译汉。在翻译的时候我是“由大到小，再由小及大”进行翻译。先从一个自然段到一个句子再到一个单词的顺序进行翻译。首先，我先把这篇文章当中每一个自然段里的不认识的单词借助于词典和工具书进行查阅，然后联系整个句子对词义进行选择，一个单词可能有好几种表达在选择中文意思的时候，不能太拘泥于某单词常用意思。比如“Atomic clocks in space could
detect gravitational waves”译为“在太空中的原子钟可以探测到引力波”这个句子中的单词“detect”，它有“查明，发现；洞察；侦察；侦查”的意思，可是在科技英语翻译当中，这个单词译为这些意思似乎少了一点专业性，因为在物理学中，太空原子钟是被人所提出来过，现在是人类在探查它，确定太空原子钟是否真的存在。所以，可译为“探测”
