7 research outputs found
An alternative derivation of the gravitomagnetic clock effect
The possibility of detecting the gravitomagnetic clock effect using
artificial Earth satellites provides the incentive to develop a more intuitive
approach to its derivation. We first consider two test electric charges moving
on the same circular orbit but in opposite directions in orthogonal electric
and magnetic fields and show that the particles take different times in
describing a full orbit. The expression for the time difference is completely
analogous to that of the general relativistic gravitomagnetic clock effect in
the weak-field and slow-motion approximation. The latter is obtained by
considering the gravitomagnetic force as a small classical non-central
perturbation of the main central Newtonian monopole force. A general expression
for the clock effect is given for a spherical orbit with an arbitrary
inclination angle. This formula differs from the result of the general
relativistic calculations by terms of order c^{-4}.Comment: LaTex2e, 11 pages, 1 figure, IOP macros. Submitted to Classical and
Quantum Gravit
On the Possibility of Measuring the Gravitomagnetic Clock Effect in an Earth Space-Based Experiment
In this paper the effect of the post-Newtonian gravitomagnetic force on the
mean longitudes of a pair of counter-rotating Earth artificial satellites
following almost identical circular equatorial orbits is investigated. The
possibility of measuring it is examined. The observable is the difference of
the times required to in passing from 0 to 2 for both senses of
motion. Such gravitomagnetic time shift, which is independent of the orbital
parameters of the satellites, amounts to 5 s for Earth; it is
cumulative and should be measured after a sufficiently high number of
revolutions. The major limiting factors are the unavoidable imperfect
cancellation of the Keplerian periods, which yields a constraint of 10
cm in knowing the difference between the semimajor axes of the satellites,
and the difference of the inclinations of the orbital planes which, for
, should be less than . A pair of spacecrafts
endowed with a sophisticated intersatellite tracking apparatus and drag-free
control down to 10 cm s Hz level might allow to meet
the stringent requirements posed by such a mission.Comment: LaTex2e, 22 pages, no tables, 1 figure, 38 references. Final version
accepted for publication in Classical and Quantum Gravit
Phenomenology of the Lense-Thirring effect in the Solar System
Recent years have seen increasing efforts to directly measure some aspects of
the general relativistic gravitomagnetic interaction in several astronomical
scenarios in the solar system. After briefly overviewing the concept of
gravitomagnetism from a theoretical point of view, we review the performed or
proposed attempts to detect the Lense-Thirring effect affecting the orbital
motions of natural and artificial bodies in the gravitational fields of the
Sun, Earth, Mars and Jupiter. In particular, we will focus on the evaluation of
the impact of several sources of systematic uncertainties of dynamical origin
to realistically elucidate the present and future perspectives in directly
measuring such an elusive relativistic effect.Comment: LaTex, 51 pages, 14 figures, 22 tables. Invited review, to appear in
Astrophysics and Space Science (ApSS). Some uncited references in the text
now correctly quoted. One reference added. A footnote adde