Can an experiment demonstrate the existence of a gravitomagnetic field?

In summary, the conversation is discussing an experiment to demonstrate gravitomagnetism using a spinning massive cylinder to create a gravitomagnetic field. The formula for calculating the magnetic force above the cylinder is provided and it is suggested to integrate the magnetic field over the volume of the cylinder. The equations for a circle, disc, and cylinder are given, along with the variables and parameters involved. The participants also discuss the feasibility and potential methods of observing and measuring the gravitomagnetic field, and the necessary size and velocity of the cylinder to cause a measurable effect. A comparison is made to the Gravity Probe B satellite experiment, which detected the gravitomagnetism due to the rotation of the Earth. The conversation ends with a
  • #1
olgerm
Gold Member
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34
I have thought about an experiment which to demostrate gravitomagntism: spinning massive cylinder creates gravitomagnetic field above it. Oscillating pendulum above the cylinder departs from its trajectory because of "gravito-Lorents" force.
To calculate magnetic force above the cylinder I use formula:
[itex]\vec B=\frac{G*4*π}{c^2}*\frac{\vec{v}×\vec{l}*m}{[\vec{l}]^3}[/itex]
where:
B is magnetic field in some point A.
G is gravitational constant.
c is speed of light.
v is speed of moving pointmass at point C.
l is vector [itex]l=\vec{AC}[/itex]
m is mass of pointmass .

To get gravitomagnetic field by whole cylinder integrate B over volume, because every point of cylinder may be seen as pointmass.

for circle:
[itex]\vec B(x, y, h, r)=\int_0^{2*π} (\frac{G*4*π*ρ}{c^2}*\frac{\vec{v}×\vec{l}*r}{[\vec{l}]^3} *dα)[/itex]

for disc:
[itex]\vec B(x, y, h, R)=\int_0^R (\int_0^{2*π} (\frac{G*4*π*ρ}{c^2}*\frac{\vec{v}×\vec{l}}{[\vec{l}]^3}*r* dα)dr)[/itex]

And finally for cylinder:
[itex]\vec B(x, y, R, H, H_0)=\int_{H_0}^{H+H_0} (\int_0^R (\int_0^{2*π} (\frac{G*4*π*ρ}{c^2}*\frac{\vec{v}×\vec{l}}{[\vec{l}]^3}*r* dα)dr)dh)[/itex]
where:
R is cylinder radius.
H is cylinder height.
H0 is (vertical) distance between pendulum and cylinder.

[itex]\vec{v}=ω*(Sin(a)*r, Cos(a)*r, 0)[/itex]
[itex]\vec{l}=(x - Cos(a)*r, y - Sin(a)*r, h)[/itex]
where ω is angular velocity of cylinder.
so [itex]\vec v×\vec l = (h*r*Cos(a),h*r*Sin(a), -r*x*Cos(a) - r*y*h*Sin(a) + r^2)[/itex] and
[itex]|\vec{l}|^3=(h^2+ (x - r*Cos(a))^2+ (y - r*Sin(a))^2)^{3/2}[/itex]

[itex]\vec B(x, y, R, H, H_0)=\int_{H_0}^{H+H_0} (\int_0^R (\int_0^{2*π} (\frac{G*4*π*ρ}{c^2}*\frac{(h*r*Cos(a),h*r*Sin(a), -r*x*Cos(a) - r*y*Sin(a) + r^2)*r*ω}{(h^2 + (x - r*Cos(a))^2 + (y - r*Sin(a))^2)^{3/2}}* dα)dr)dh)[/itex]

[itex]\vec B(x, y, R, H, H_0)=\frac{G*4*π*ρ*ω}{c^2}*\int_{H_0}^{H+H_0} (\int_0^R (\int_0^{2*π} (\frac{(h*r*Cos(a),h*r*Sin(a), r-x*Cos(a) - y*Sin(a))*r^2}{(x^2+y^2+r^2+h^2-2*r(x*Cos(a)+y*Sin(a)))^{3/2}}* dα)dr)dh)[/itex]

[itex]\vec B(x, y, R, H, H_0)=\frac{G*4*π*ρ*ω}{c^2}*\int_{H_0}^{H+H_0}(\int_0^R((\frac{h*π*r*x*(\sqrt{h^4*(x^2+y^2-r^2)^2+2*h^2*(r^2+x^2+y^2)}-(h^2+r^2+x^2+y^2))}{(x^2+y^2)*\sqrt{h^4+(x^2+y^2-r^2)^2+2*h^2*(r^2+x^2+y^2)}},\frac{h*π*r*y*(\sqrt{h^4+(x^2+y^2-r^2)^2+2*h^2*(r^2+x^2+y^2)}-(h^2+r^2+x^2+y^2))}{(x^2+y^2)*\sqrt{h^4 + (x^2+y^2-r^2)^2+2*h^2*(r^2+x^2+y^2)}},?)*dr)dh)[/itex]

Is my equation correct?
Can anyone simplify that equation for me?
How would be best to observe/measure gravitomagnetic field ,with pendulum changing it´s trajectory (because of gravitomagnetic field´s vertical component), pendulum changing it´s oscillation period(because of gravitomagnetic field´s horizontal component), or with two cylinders pulling/pushing each other like normal magnets?
May this experiment work?
Has such experiment ever been done before?
 
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  • #2
When thinking of an experiment, one needs to estimate the magnitude of an effect.

How large a cylinder of what mass and dimensions will it take to cause a measurable effect?
 
  • #3
Dr. Courtney said:
When thinking of an experiment, one needs to estimate the magnitude of an effect.

How large a cylinder of what mass and dimensions will it take to cause a measurable effect?
I need to simplify that equation to know how big cylinder and how big(fast) angular velocity I need.

density ρ is probably not more than about 14000*kg/m3
[itex]\frac{4*π*G}{c^2}≈9.396706053583*10^{-27}[/itex]

How big(strong) gravitomagnetic field should be to be observable?
 
Last edited:
  • #4
olgerm said:
I have thought about an experiment which to demostrate gravitomagntism

olgerm said:
How big(strong) gravitomagnetic field should be to be observable?

You might want to read up on Gravity Probe B, a satellite experiment that detected the gravitomagnetism due to the Earth's rotation:

https://einstein.stanford.edu/

The "frame-dragging effect" is gravitomagnetism. (The "geodetic effect" is another GR effect that is not present in Newtonian gravity, but it is present for non-rotating gravitating bodies.) As you will see if you dig into the numbers, even with an object the size of the Earth, the effects being detected are very small. I'm not sure you could detect them using objects small enough to fit in a laboratory.
 
  • #5
At time t=0 pendulum is in it´s amplitude position φ=θ and z=0. If I measure gravitomagnetic field ,with pendulum changing it´s trajectory (because of gravitomagnetic field´s vertical component), then angel between pendulum original horizontal moving direction and pendulum horizontal moving direction after time t is [itex]β=\iint dt^2*M(t)/b(t)[/itex]

M is torque. [itex]M_{x-z}(t)=F_{gravito-Lorentz}(t)*(x(t)^2+z(t)^2)^{1/2}[/itex]
b is moment of inertia. [itex]b_{x-z}(t)=m*(x(t)^2+z(t))^2)[/itex]
Fgravito-Lorentz is gravito-Lorentz force. [itex]F_{gravito-Lorentz}(t)=m*4*v(t)*B(t)[/itex]

So:
[itex]β(t)=\iint dt^2*4*v(t)*B(t)/(x(t)^2+z(t)^2)^{1/2}[/itex]

Pendulum equation of motion is [itex]φ(t)=θ*sin(\sqrt{\frac{g}{l}*t})[/itex]
so movingpiontmass equation of motion is
[itex]\begin{cases}
x(t)=sin(φ)*l=sin(θ*sin(\sqrt{\frac{g}{l}*t}))*l\\
y(t)=l*(cos(φ)*-1)=cos(θ*sin(\sqrt{\frac{g}{l}*t}))*l-l\\
\end{cases}[/itex]

and B(t)=B(x(t), y(t), R, H, H_0)
olgerm said:
[itex]=\frac{G*4*π*ρ*ω}{c^2}*\int_{H_0}^{H+H_0} (\int_0^R (\int_0^{2*π} (\frac{(h*r*Cos(a),h*r*Sin(a), r-x*Cos(a) - y*Sin(a))*r^2}{(x^2+y^2+r^2+h^2-2*r(x*Cos(a)+y*Sin(a)))^{3/2}}* dα)dr)dh)[/itex]

[itex]v_{x-y}(t)=\frac{dx(t)}{dt}=
\frac{g*θ*Cos(\sqrt{(g*t)/l})*Cos(θ*Sin(\sqrt{(g*t)/l}))}{2*\sqrt{(g*t)/l}}
[/itex]

So:
[itex]β(t)=\iint dt^2*4*\frac{G*4*π*ρ*ω}{c^2}*\int_{H_0}^{H+H_0} (\int_0^R (\int_0^{2*π} (\frac{(r-x*Cos(a) - y*Sin(a))*r^2}{(x^2+y^2+r^2+h^2-2*r(x*Cos(a)+y*Sin(a)))^{3/2}}* dα)dr)dh)*\frac{g*θ*Cos(\sqrt{(g*t)/l})*Cos(θ*Sin(\sqrt{(g*t)/l}))}{2*\sqrt{(g*t)/l}}[/itex]

that is my estimation of magnitude of effect.
May this experiment work?
 
  • #6
olgerm said:
At time t=0 pendulum is in it´s amplitude position φ=θ and z=0. If I measure gravitomagnetic field ,with pendulum changing it´s trajectory (because of gravitomagnetic field´s vertical component), then angel between pendulum original horizontal moving direction and pendulum horizontal moving direction after time t is [itex]β=\iint dt^2*M(t)/b(t)[/itex]

M is torque. [itex]M_{x-z}(t)=F_{gravito-Lorentz}(t)*(x(t)^2+z(t)^2)^{1/2}[/itex]
b is moment of inertia. [itex]b_{x-z}(t)=m*(x(t)^2+z(t))^2)[/itex]
Fgravito-Lorentz is gravito-Lorentz force. [itex]F_{gravito-Lorentz}(t)=m*4*v(t)*B(t)[/itex]

So:
[itex]β(t)=\iint dt^2*4*v(t)*B(t)/(x(t)^2+z(t)^2)^{1/2}[/itex]

Pendulum equation of motion is [itex]φ(t)=θ*sin(\sqrt{\frac{g}{l}*t})[/itex]
so movingpiontmass equation of motion is
[itex]\begin{cases}
x(t)=sin(φ)*l=sin(θ*sin(\sqrt{\frac{g}{l}*t}))*l\\
y(t)=l*(cos(φ)*-1)=cos(θ*sin(\sqrt{\frac{g}{l}*t}))*l-l\\
\end{cases}[/itex]

and B(t)=B(x(t), y(t), R, H, H_0)[itex]v_{x-y}(t)=\frac{dx(t)}{dt}=
\frac{g*θ*Cos(\sqrt{(g*t)/l})*Cos(θ*Sin(\sqrt{(g*t)/l}))}{2*\sqrt{(g*t)/l}}
[/itex]

So:
[itex]β(t)=\iint dt^2*4*\frac{G*4*π*ρ*ω}{c^2}*\int_{H_0}^{H+H_0} (\int_0^R (\int_0^{2*π} (\frac{(r-x*Cos(a) - y*Sin(a))*r^2}{(x^2+y^2+r^2+h^2-2*r(x*Cos(a)+y*Sin(a)))^{3/2}}* dα)dr)dh)*\frac{g*θ*Cos(\sqrt{(g*t)/l})*Cos(θ*Sin(\sqrt{(g*t)/l}))}{2*\sqrt{(g*t)/l}}[/itex]

that is my estimation of magnitude of effect.
May this experiment work?
I find your mind boggling calculations impressive!
Despite that why are you praying for it to work.It will work if it is bold enough.
As I recall an event in Einstein,s life when his General theory was proved right.A generalist asked Einstein about what if you were proved wrong,then he replied that I would have felt sorry for the poor lord.
 
  • #7
Try plugging in actual numbers. Throw it into Mathematica or similar and see what you get.
 

Related to Can an experiment demonstrate the existence of a gravitomagnetic field?

1. What is a gravitomagnetic experiment?

A gravitomagnetic experiment is a scientific investigation that aims to test the existence and properties of the gravitomagnetic force, also known as frame-dragging. This force is predicted by Einstein's theory of general relativity and is analogous to the magnetic force in electromagnetism.

2. How is a gravitomagnetic experiment conducted?

A gravitomagnetic experiment typically involves using highly sensitive instruments, such as gyroscopes or pendulums, to measure the tiny effects of the gravitomagnetic force. These instruments are usually placed in orbit around a massive object, such as Earth or a planet, where the effects of the force are expected to be stronger.

3. What are the potential implications of a successful gravitomagnetic experiment?

If a gravitomagnetic experiment were to successfully detect and measure the gravitomagnetic force, it would provide strong evidence for the validity of Einstein's theory of general relativity. It could also have practical applications, such as improving our understanding of the behavior of massive objects in space and potentially leading to advancements in space propulsion technology.

4. Have there been any notable gravitomagnetic experiments in the past?

Yes, there have been several notable gravitomagnetic experiments in the past, including the Gravity Probe B mission launched by NASA in 2004. This experiment measured the frame-dragging effect of Earth's rotation on the orientation of gyroscopes in orbit. Another notable experiment is the LAGEOS satellite mission, which has also provided evidence for the existence of the gravitomagnetic force.

5. Are there any ongoing or planned gravitomagnetic experiments?

Yes, there are currently several ongoing and planned gravitomagnetic experiments, including the GRACE-FO mission, which launched in 2018 and is using two satellites to measure Earth's gravitational field. The LISA mission, planned for launch in 2034, will also use three spacecraft to detect the frame-dragging effect of massive objects in space. Other experiments are also being proposed and developed to further study the gravitomagnetic force.

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