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Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology / Can a torsion balance be used to measure the speed of gravity?
« on: 26/03/2015 18:08:01 »
Here's a thought experiment.
Imagine two small test masses suspended on a torsion wire, inside an evacuated tube - the classic "G meter". Now instead of two large masses, have a wheel carrying several large "driving" masses around the circumference, separated by a distance equal to the diameter of a driving mass.
If you spin the wheel around the G meter,the torsion wire will twist under the gravitational drag force. Spin the wheel faster and it will deflect further...until the time taken for gravity to transfer from the wheel to the test mass equals the transit time of one driving mass, at which point the torsion wire won't twist any further.
Enough theoretical physics. Would any experimental physicists and engineers out there care to put some numbers to the project?
Imagine two small test masses suspended on a torsion wire, inside an evacuated tube - the classic "G meter". Now instead of two large masses, have a wheel carrying several large "driving" masses around the circumference, separated by a distance equal to the diameter of a driving mass.
If you spin the wheel around the G meter,the torsion wire will twist under the gravitational drag force. Spin the wheel faster and it will deflect further...until the time taken for gravity to transfer from the wheel to the test mass equals the transit time of one driving mass, at which point the torsion wire won't twist any further.
Enough theoretical physics. Would any experimental physicists and engineers out there care to put some numbers to the project?