Naked Science Forum
General Science => General Science => Topic started by: chris on 02/04/2017 10:38:12
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Dear all
Troy, who listens to the programme (https://www.thenakedscientists.com/podcast) in Australia, wrote today with this question:
Is artificial gravity as seen in Sci-fi shows possible?
What does everyone think?
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It is here already gravity and acceleration are indistinguishable hence the centripetal acceleration produced by rotation can be termed artificial gravity
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If by sci-fri shows you mean the spaceships in "2001: A space Odyssey" or "The Martian", then producing artificial gravity by a rotating ring is entirely feasible with our current technology (even if fantastically expensive).
If we could develop a small and efficient nuclear fusion drive, or (even better), an antimatter drive, then it would be feasible to just remain in linear acceleration for considerable amounts of time.
But the ability to maintain 1g acceleration even when the spaceship is in free fall such as in "Star Trek" or "Passengers" goes far beyond any physics I know. Even when the engines are firing, the direction of artificial gravity remains resolutely at right angles to the direction of spaceship acceleration!
Artificial gravity as a plot device certainly reduces production costs, as you can film everything in a standard movie studio, instead of rigging everyone with harnesses to float through the air, or moving the entire production onto the "vomit comet".
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It would make more sense to use high powered superconducting magnets and semi metallic suits to make artificial gravity on board ships, because you would need the magnetic field anyway to protect you from space radiation.
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It is here already gravity and acceleration are indistinguishable hence the centripetal acceleration produced by rotation can be termed artificial gravity
That is not a valid statement in general. As Einstein explained, it's only exactly true when the gravitational field is uniform. In such a case a uniform gravitational field is equivalent to such a field. Most people don't understand this point and incorrectly describe the physics of GR. If the field isn't uniform, like the Earth's gravitational field, then there are tidal forces present which can be detected locally with a gradiometer.
The answer to the question is that according to current theory its not possible in a way other than good ole Evan described. Such a reliable gent. My compliments to him for being so reliable. :)
However the assertion made by ScientificSorcerer regarding the use of magnets is incorrect. Such claims were never reproduced and have been assumed by the physics community to be pure bunk. In fact there is no reason for such a thing to be true according to any current theory in physics and as already explained has never been reproduced in subsequent attempts.