Posted on 07/23/2009 3:26:56 PM PDT by anymouse
Scientists funded by the European Space Agency believe they may have measured the gravitational equivalent of a magnetic field for the first time in a laboratory. Under certain special conditions the effect is much larger than expected from general relativity and could help physicists to make a significant step towards the long-sought-after quantum theory of gravity.
Just as a moving electrical charge creates a magnetic field, so a moving mass generates a gravitomagnetic field. According to Einstein's Theory of General Relativity, the effect is virtually negligible. However, Martin Tajmar, ARC Seibersdorf Research GmbH, Austria, and colleagues believe they have measured the effect in a laboratory.
Their experiment involves a ring of superconducting material rotating up to 6 500 times a minute. Superconductors are special materials that lose all electrical resistance at a certain temperature. Spinning superconductors produce a weak magnetic field, the so-called London moment. The new experiment tests a conjecture that explains the difference between high-precision mass measurements of Cooper-pairs (the current carriers in superconductors) and their prediction via quantum theory. They have discovered that this anomaly could be explained by the appearance of a gravitomagnetic field in the spinning superconductor (This effect has been named the Gravitomagnetic London Moment by analogy with its magnetic counterpart).
Small acceleration sensors placed at different locations close to the spinning superconductor, which has to be accelerated for the effect to be noticeable, recorded an acceleration field outside the superconductor that appears to be produced by gravitomagnetism. "This experiment is the gravitational analogue of Faraday's electromagnetic induction experiment in 1831.
It demonstrates that a superconductive gyroscope is capable of generating a powerful gravitomagnetic field, and is therefore the gravitational counterpart of the magnetic coil. Depending on further confirmation, this effect could form the basis for a new technological domain, which would have numerous applications in space and other high-tech sectors" says ESA study manager Clovis de Matos. Although just 100 millionths of the acceleration due to the Earth’s gravitational field, the measured field is a surprising one hundred million trillion times larger than Einstein’s General Relativity predicts. Initially, the researchers were reluctant to believe their own results.
Before anyone else posts the obvious response; yes, it is a heavy subject. ;)
Nah, these threads send me off on tangents in my thinking.
It’s has me wonderin’ what the effect would have on other predicted behaviors in space-time.
Artificial Gravity.
Very interesting.
I start wondering about propulsion possibilities.
How about a rethinking of the Big Bang?
parsy, who read one guy who said electromagnetic fields and plasma was what was going on.
Cities In Flight...
Thinking,send San Franciso out first
Like SPASMOS Carl Sagan would say: Billions and billions.
Yeah yeah, magnetized gravitation— antigravity - - - bad science fiction
Nikola! You were born too soon! You’d be havin’ a blast right now!
Hate to say it, read the book. See my tagline.
You said — Interesting possibilities.
—
Yes, indeed. I can envision the first houses built with artificial gravity and all the furniture is on the ceiling... LOL...
bump for later read
Stuff like, "They have discovered that this anomaly could be explained by..." and "...appears to be produced by gravitomagnetism."
That sort of vagueness is at odds with their dramatic conclusion: "It demonstrates that a superconductive gyroscope is capable of generating a powerful gravitomagnetic field, and is therefore the gravitational counterpart of the magnetic coil."
Now, they might be right ... but I think I'll wait for confirmation.
Blish - one of my favorites. Anti-gravity is next!
I know what you’re saying but I enjoy this stuff just for the theoretical thinking it sends me off on.
Or perhaps the analogue of cold fusion in 1989.
Bah! I’ll tell you what you can do with your “general relativity”! Aristotle’s physics works for me.
You thinking what I’m thinking?
They may have gotten far ahead of themselves with theory. Gravity stands apart from the other forces because while they are contained within ordinary dimensions, gravity may be multidimensional. This is a good rationale to explain why gravitons have never been detected.
That is, our ordinary dimensions are contained within space and time, or really space-time, because space and time appear to be functions of the same thing. If you alter space, you alter time, and vice versa.
But gravity seems to be transcend this, to some extent. It is the force, unlike all others, that *can* alter space and time. Strong and weak nuclear forces, and electromagnetism, can’t. Gravity can bend time and space.
If gravity is indeed transcendent, it would explain dark matter, the majority of the universal mass that isn’t seen. The reason it would not be seen is because it is not really there, except virtually, an appearance of mass created by extra-dimensional gravity. The mass exists, just not in ordinary dimensions.
With this explanation, what the scientists have accomplished with their experiment is to increase “our share” of the multidimensional gravitational field in our dimension. This also implies that by their actions, they are decreasing the gravitational field in another dimension.
It means that even though the field is stronger, there are still no gravitons to be found.
anymouse: get your priorities in order please? he he
Einstein’s philosophical style of thinking has a lot in common with Aristotle.
Don’t go down that road please ... I just re-read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and all this thinking about thinking about thinking has me tied up in knots... Aristotlean or otherwise...
Wake me up when we have flying cars and fusion reactors...
OK, just stick with good ol' Aristotle!
Place is thought to be something important and hard to grasp, both because the matter and the shape present themselves along with it, and because the displacement of the body that is moved takes place in a stationary container, for it seems possible that there should be an interval which is other than the bodies which are moved. The air, too, which is thought to be incorporeal, contributes something to the belief: it is not only the boundaries of the vessel which seem to be place, but also what is between them, regarded as empty. Just, in fact, as the vessel is transportable place, so place is a non-portable vessel. So when what is within a thing which is moved, is moved and changes its place, as a boat on a river, what contains plays the part of a vessel rather than that of place. Place on the other hand is rather what is motionless: so it is rather the whole river that is place, because as a whole it is motionless.
BTW, I loved Zen & the A of MM. I read it when I was in grad school, and I remember one day when I didn’t go into school but sat home with an atlas following his trip through Montana and Idaho.
bmflr
Maybe a spindizzy drive????
Well I hope this can lead to tech that can help us colonize at least the solar system as we are the first beings on this planet to have the capability of thought and the ability to alter ourselves and environment, it would be a crying shame to stay here and live in mud huts till the sun blew up....
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