Naked Science Forum

Non Life Sciences => Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology => Topic started by: thedoc on 01/05/2013 09:30:06

Title: How can we create Earth-like gravity on the Moon?
Post by: thedoc on 01/05/2013 09:30:06
Terry Kirk  asked the Naked Scientists:
   
I have been reading a lot of articles on your site and I am really enjoying them.

How would one create a gravitational force on the moon of around 1G without the use of magnets or anything which may interfere with electrical signals or equipment?

Regards,

Terry Kirk

What do you think?
Title: Re: How can we create Earth-like gravity on the Moon?
Post by: graham.d on 01/05/2013 13:06:27
There is no known way to emulate gravity perfectly. The only way to do this approximately is to create an acceleration of your reference frame. This is shown in the classic rotating space stations as in Arthur C. Clarkes 2001 so that your "floor" is the inside of this rotating ring. It is not perfect because your head and feet experience a different gravitational force which only lessens the bigger the space station but is always there to some extent. I expect this could be done on the moon with a ring parallel to the moons surface (like a big roundabout) so that the net force from the rotation (in your rotating frame of reference) and gravity would sum. The resulting gravity would be outwards from the ring but also somewhat downwards from the moon's gravity. It may be somewhat disturbing to live in such a body though and, of course, restricts you to only moving on the inner surface of this rotating ring, but it may serve as a living/sleeping area.

Magnetic devices would only act on the parts of your body equipped with magnetic material (like magnetic boots). This does not give an emulation of gravity and I think can take some getting used to. Your magnetic boots would only work on a floor made of some material like iron of course. On the moon this would be harder to get used to that just managing the lower gravity I think.
Title: Re: How can we create Earth-like gravity on the Moon?
Post by: CliffordK on 01/05/2013 16:57:28
One could, of course, also build round rotating buildings which would simulate higher gravity while inside of the buildings.  In this case, people might spend part of their time in low-G, if they were working on an experiment that benefited from more background stability, such as working on a telescope.  Then return to the Earth-G environments while working on computers, or during the night. 

One could potentially create very large ring structures on the surface of the moon, although energy would be an issue, as well as having a method to utilize the space within the ring that would either be subjected to lower gravity if rotating, or lunar gravity if not rotating.

Some of the effects of gravity might be simulated with very strong magnetic fields, although it is unlikely that one could get a good uniform application of the field, and something like magnetic boots would be quite different than whole body gravity.
Title: Re: How can we create Earth-like gravity on the Moon?
Post by: yor_on on 01/05/2013 18:07:37
Ah at last an easy one. Why, you just take some of those mini black holes, plant them to your soles and then walk. Gravity will be downwards, no matter your orientation relative anything else. Why, I expect this to become a quite comfortable way of walking space.. There might be some few grumbling here, but so it has been each time a new paradigm have been created..
Title: Re: How can we create Earth-like gravity on the Moon?
Post by: simplified on 02/05/2013 08:46:13
 Heavy clothes will increase pressure upon your bones.

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