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== References ==
== References ==
<references/>
<references/>
<I. Ciufolini, Measurement of Lense--Thirring Drag on High-Altitude Laser-Ranged Artificial
/* I. Ciufolini, Measurement of Lense--Thirring Drag on High-Altitude Laser-Ranged Artificial
Satellites'', ''Phys. Rev. Lett.'' '''56''', 278--81 (1986)./>
Satellites'', ''Phys. Rev. Lett.'' '''56''', 278--81 (1986). */


== External links ==
== External links ==

Revision as of 11:15, 10 April 2007

Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity predicts that rotating bodies drag spacetime around themselves in a phenomenon referred to as frame-dragging. The rotational frame-dragging effect was first derived from the theory of general relativity in 1918 by the Austrian physicists Joseph Lense and Hans Thirring, and is also known as the Lense-Thirring effect.[1][2][3] More generally, the subject of field effects caused by moving matter is known as gravitomagnetism.

Lense and Thirring predicted that the rotation of an object would alter space and time, dragging a nearby object out of position compared to the predictions of Newtonian physics. This is the frame-dragging effect. The predicted effect is incredibly small — about one part in a few trillion — which means that you have to look at something very massive, or build an instrument that is incredibly sensitive.

The first proposal to use the LAGEOS satellite and the Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) technique to measure the Lense-Thirring effect in the gravitational field of the Earth dates back to 1978[4]. Tests have started to be effectively performed by using the LAGEOS and LAGEOS II satellites in 1996[5], according to a strategy[6] involving the use of a suitable combination of the nodes of both satellites and the perigee of LAGEOS II. The latest tests with the LAGEOS satellites have been performed in 2004-2006[7][8] by discarding the perigee of LAGEOS II and using a linear combination[9][10][11][12] involving only the nodes of both the spacecraft. Although the predictions of general relativity are compatible with the experimental results, the realistic evaluation of the total error raised a debate[13][14][15] [16][17]. Another test of the Lense-Thirring effect in the gravitational field of Mars, performed by suitably interpreting the data of the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) spacecraft, has been recently reported[18]. Attempts to detect the Lense-Thirring effect induced by the Sun's rotation on the orbits of the inner planets of the Solar System have been reported as well[19]: the predictions of general relativity are compatible with the estimated corrections to the perihelia precessions[20], although the errors are still large. The system of the Galilean satellites of Jupiter was investigated as well[21], following the original suggestion by Lense and Thirring. The Gravity Probe B experiment[22][23] is currently under way to experimentally measure another gravitomagentic effect, i.e. the Schiff precession of a gyroscope[24][25], to an expected 1% accuracy or better.

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Frame dragging effects

Rotational frame-dragging (Lense-Thirring effect) appears in the general principle of relativity and similar theories in the vicinity of rotating massive objects. Under the Lense-Thirring effect, the frame of reference in which a clock ticks the fastest is one which is rotating around the object as viewed by a distant observer. This also means that light traveling in the direction of rotation of the object will move around the object faster than light moving against the rotation as seen by a distant observer. It is now the best-known effect, partly thanks to the Gravity Probe B experiment.

Accelerational frame dragging is the similarly inevitable result of the general principle of relativity, applied to acceleration. Although it arguably has equal theoretical legitimacy to the "rotational" effect, the difficulty of obtaining an experimental verification of the effect means that it receives much less discussion and is often omitted from articles on frame-dragging (but see Einstein, 1921)[26].

Mathematical treatment of frame-dragging

Experimental tests of frame-dragging

Note: this section has been removed: please discuss any changes to this on the talk page before proceeding further.

See also

References

  1. ^ Thirring, H. Über die Wirkung rotierender ferner Massen in der Einsteinschen Gravitationstheorie. Physikalische Zeitschrift 19, 33 (1918). [On the Effect of Rotating Distant Masses in Einstein's Theory of Gravitation]
  2. ^ Thirring, H. Berichtigung zu meiner Arbeit: "Über die Wirkung rotierender Massen in der Einsteinschen Gravitationstheorie". Physikalische Zeitschrift 22, 29 (1921). [Correction to my paper "On the Effect of Rotating Distant Masses in Einstein's Theory of Gravitation"]
  3. ^ Lense, J. and Thirring, H. Über den Einfluss der Eigenrotation der Zentralkörper auf die Bewegung der Planeten und Monde nach der Einsteinschen Gravitationstheorie. Physikalische Zeitschrift 19 156-63 (1918) [On the Influence of the Proper Rotation of Central Bodies on the Motions of Planets and Moons According to Einstein's Theory of Gravitation]
  4. ^ Cugusi, L., Proverbio, E., Relativistic Effects on the Motion of Earth's Artificial Satellites, Astron. Astrophys, 69, 321-325, 1978.
  5. ^ Ciufolini, I., Lucchesi, D.M., Vespe, F., Mandiello, A., Measurement of Dragging of Inertial Frames and Gravitomagnetic Field Using Laser-Ranged Satellites, Il Nuovo Cimento A, 109, 575-590, 1996.
  6. ^ Ciufolini, I., On a new method to measure the gravitomagnetic field using two orbiting satellites., Il Nuovo Cimento A, 109, 1709-1720, 1996.
  7. ^ Ciufolini, I., and Pavlis, E.C., A confirmation of the general relativistic prediction of the Lense-Thirring effect, Nature, 431, 958-960, 2004
  8. ^ Ciufolini, I., Pavlis, E.C., and Peron, R., Determination of frame-dragging using Earth gravity models from CHAMP and GRACE, New Astron., 11, 527-550, 2006.
  9. ^ Pavlis, E.C., Geodetic contributions to gravitational experiments in space. In: Cianci, R., Collina, R., Francaviglia, M., Fré, P. (Eds.), Recent Developments in General Relativity. 14th SIGRAV Conference on General Relativity and Gravitational Physics, Genova, Italy, September 18-22, 2000. Springer, Milano, pp. 217-233, 2002.
  10. ^ Iorio, L., Morea, A., The impact of the new Earth gravity models on the measurement of the Lense-Thirring effect, Gen. Relativ. Gravit., 36, 1321-1333, 2004. (Preprint http://www.arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/0304011).
  11. ^ Ries, J.C., Eanes, R.J., Tapley, B.D., Lense-Thirring Precession Determination from Laser Ranging to Artificial Satellites. In: Ruffini, R., Sigismondi, C. (Eds.), Nonlinear Gravitodynamics. The Lense-Thirring Effect, World Scientific, Singapore, pp. 201-211, 2003a.
  12. ^ Ries, J.C., Eanes, R.J., Tapley, B.D., Peterson, G.E., Prospects for an Improved Lense-Thirring Test with SLR and the GRACE Gravity Mission. In: Noomen, R., Klosko, S., Noll, C., Pearlman, M. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 13th International Laser Ranging Workshop, NASA CP 2003-212248, NASA Goddard, Greenbelt, 2003b. (Preprint http://cddisa.gsfc.nasa.gov/lw13/lw$\_${proceedings}.html$\#$science).
  13. ^ Iorio, L., On the reliability of the so far performed tests for measuring the Lense-Thirring effect with the LAGEOS satellites, New Astron., 10, 603-615, 2005.
  14. ^ Ciufolini, I., and Pavlis, E.C., On the Measurement of the Lense-Thirring effect Using the Nodes of the LAGEOS Satellites in reply to "On the reliability of the so-far performed tests for measuring the Lense-Thirring effect with the LAGEOS satellites" by L. Iorio, New Astron., 10, 636-651, 2005.
  15. ^ Lucchesi, D.M., The impact of the even zonal harmonics secular variations on the Lense-Thirring effect measurement with the two Lageos satellites, Int. J. of Mod. Phys. D, 14, 1989-2023, 2005.
  16. ^ Iorio, L., A critical analysis of a recent test of the Lense-Thirring effect with the LAGEOS satellites, J. of Geodesy, 80, 128-136, 2006.
  17. ^ Iorio, L., An assessment of the measurement of the Lense-Thirring effect in the Earth gravity field, in reply to: ``On the measurement of the Lense-Thirring effect using the nodes of the LAGEOS satellites, in reply to ``On the reliability of the so far performed tests for measuring the Lense-Thirring effect with the LAGEOS satellites" by L. Iorio," by I. Ciufolini and E. Pavlis, Planet. Space Sci., 55, 503-511, 2007.
  18. ^ Iorio, L., A note on the evidence of the gravitomagnetic field of Mars, Class. Quantum Grav., 23, 5451-5454, 2006.
  19. ^ Iorio, L., First preliminary tests of the general relativistic gravitomagnetic field of the Sun and new constraints on a Yukawa-like fifth force from planetary data, gr-qc/0507041, 2005
  20. ^ Pitjeva, E.V., Relativistic Effects and Solar Oblateness from Radar Observations of Planets and Spacecraft. Astron. Lett., 31, 340-349, 2005.
  21. ^ Iorio, L., and Lainey, V., The Lense-Thirring effect in the Jovian system of the Galilean satellites and its measurability, Int. J. Mod. Phys. D, 14, 2039-2050, 2005.
  22. ^ Everitt, C.W.F, The Gyroscope Experiment I. General Description and Analysis of Gyroscope Performance. In: Bertotti, B. (Ed.), Proc. Int. School Phys. "Enrico Fermi" Course LVI. New Academic Press, New York, pp. 331-360, 1974. Reprinted in: Ruffini, R.J., Sigismondi, C. (Eds.), Nonlinear Gravitodynamics. The Lense-Thirring Effect. World Scientific, Singapore, pp. 439-468, 2003.
  23. ^ Everitt, C.W.F., et al., Gravity Probe B: Countdown to Launch. In: Laemmerzahl, C., Everitt, C.W.F., Hehl, F.W. (Eds.), Gyros, Clocks, Interferometers...: Testing Relativistic Gravity in Space. Springer, Berlin, pp. 52-82, 2001.
  24. ^ Pugh, G.E., Proposal for a Satellite Test of the Coriolis Prediction of General Relativity, WSEG, Research Memorandum No. 11, 1959. Reprinted in: Ruffini, R.J., Sigismondi, C. (Eds.), Nonlinear Gravitodynamics. The Lense-Thirring Effect. World Scientific, Singapore, pp. 414-426, 2003.
  25. ^ Schiff, L., On Experimental Tests of the General Theory of Relativity, Am. J. of Phys., 28, 340-343, 1960.
  26. ^ Einstein, A The Meaning of Relativity (contains transcripts of his 1921 Princeton lectures).

/* I. Ciufolini, Measurement of Lense--Thirring Drag on High-Altitude Laser-Ranged Artificial Satellites, Phys. Rev. Lett. 56, 278--81 (1986). */

External links

An early version of this article was adapted from public domain material from http://science.msfc.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/ast06nov97_1.htm

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