A test for 'Sakharov gravity'?
Robert Clark
I don't know if this theory has a name, but it's the theory of
gravity that regards gravitation as the effects of a body moving
through a 'medium', a 'fluid', consisting of the quantum vacuum. I
called it 'Sakharov gravity' because it was first written about by
Andrei Sakharov in 1967. If we are to regard gravity as due to motion
through a fluid, then it is natural to suppose that effects common in
motion through a fluid would also occur in this case. One of the most
salient features of motion through fluids is that of turbulence.
Viewing space-time in the standard Einsteinian approach, it would be
difficult to imagine the occurrence of turbulence in space-time, at
least for a smooth body. However, if one views 'space-time' as actually
consisting of the individual particles of the quantum vacuum, then the
possibility of turbulence becomes a much more likely possibility.
So how to test for this? In standard fluid dynamics the greatest
amount of turbulence occurs immediately before and after the moving
body. If such gravitational turbulence were to occur then we would
expect it to occur, for example, immediately before and after the Earth
in its orbit around the sun. It would be difficult to test for this in
the atmosphere since it would have its own turbulent effects. Therefore
a legitimate test would have to be in space. One possible method would
be for example to have a body placed in orbit by the space shuttle and
measure the variations in its orbit according to where it is located
with respect to the Earth's orbit around the sun. It would have to be a
rather small body in order for the effects to be measurable. As the
Earth rotates below there will be variations in the gravitational field
due to the variations in the Earth's density and topography. In the
case of the topography, this should be able to be accounted for since
the Earth's surface is very well mapped. However, in the case of its
density, I don't know if this is known well enough to compute the
variations. Perhaps, someone familiar with satellite orbital
calculations can answer that question.
As in turbulence in fluid dynamics, we would expect the effects to be
chaotic. However, the magnitude of the chaotic variations should be
greatest before and after the Earth in relation to the Earth's orbit
around the Sun. One problem is the fact that the turbulence would also
be greatest the closer the satellite is to the Earth. But we are
limited to how close we can get due to the Earth's atmosphere. So this
may limit the accuracy of the measurements that can be made with the
Earth as the gravitating body. Another possibility would be to use the
moon as the gravitating body, but I believe the moon's orbital speed is
less than the Earth's orbital speed, so this would again limit the
accuracy we could achieve. Also the moon's topography is not as well
mapped.
A third possibility would be to use some of the deep planetary probes
that have been launched. These have a rather high orbital speed around
the sun. I remember reading that some of the robot probes we launched
to the outer planets suffered unexplained variations in their orbital
trajectories. It would be interesting to find out if the variations
were chaotic or not.
Bob Clark
Jan Panteltje
Nice point, very interesting.
John Popelish
I have never heard of this concept before, but I will intersperse a few
comments anyway.
Robert Clark wrote:
* I don't know if this theory has a name, but it's the theory of
* gravity that regards gravitation as the effects of a body moving
* through a 'medium', a 'fluid', consisting of the quantum vacuum. I
* called it 'Sakharov gravity' because it was first written about by
* Andrei Sakharov in 1967. If we are to regard gravity as due to motion
* through a fluid, then it is natural to suppose that effects common in
* motion through a fluid would also occur in this case. One of the most
* salient features of motion through fluids is that of turbulence.
* Viewing space-time in the standard Einsteinian approach, it would be
* difficult to imagine the occurrence of turbulence in space-time, at
* least for a smooth body. However, if one views 'space-time' as
actually
* consisting of the individual particles of the quantum vacuum, then the
* possibility of turbulence becomes a much more likely possibility.
Fluid turbulence occurs with smooth bodies moving through fluid, if the
reunolds number is high enough. That is is the inertial forces dominate
the viscous forces. Does this theory of gravity imply a fluid with
either inertia or viscosity?
* So how to test for this? In standard fluid dynamics the greatest
* amount of turbulence occurs immediately before and after the moving
* body.
With gasses and liquids, there is a boundary layer that is laminar, even
if there is turbulence at some greater distance. For reynolds numbers
around 1000, the boundary layer is thick, and turbulence is not very
stable. For reynolds numbers >10,000 the boundary layer is thin
compared to the the turbulent layer, but the turbulence never reaches
the surface, unless the reynolds number is infinite. Does the concept
of reynolds number or something like it apply to this "fluid"? With no
specifics of what properties this "fluid" has, it would be very dificult
to design an experiment to look for it.
* If such gravitational turbulence were to occur then we would
* expect it to occur, for example, immediately before and after the
Earth
* in its orbit around the sun. It would be difficult to test for this in
* the atmosphere since it would have its own turbulent effects.
Therefore
* a legitimate test would have to be in space. One possible method would
* be for example to have a body placed in orbit by the space shuttle and
* measure the variations in its orbit according to where it is located
* with respect to the Earth's orbit around the sun. It would have to be
a
* rather small body in order for the effects to be measurable. As the
* Earth rotates below there will be variations in the gravitational
field
* due to the variations in the Earth's density and topography. In the
* case of the topography, this should be able to be accounted for since
* the Earth's surface is very well mapped. However, in the case of its
* density, I don't know if this is known well enough to compute the
* variations. Perhaps, someone familiar with satellite orbital
* calculations can answer that question.
* As in turbulence in fluid dynamics, we would expect the effects to be
* chaotic. However, the magnitude of the chaotic variations should be
* greatest before and after the Earth in relation to the Earth's orbit
* around the Sun. One problem is the fact that the turbulence would also
* be greatest the closer the satellite is to the Earth. But we are
* limited to how close we can get due to the Earth's atmosphere. So this
* may limit the accuracy of the measurements that can be made with the
* Earth as the gravitating body. Another possibility would be to use the
* moon as the gravitating body, but I believe the moon's orbital speed
is
* less than the Earth's orbital speed, so this would again limit the
* accuracy we could achieve.
The Moon goes around the Sun as fast as Earth, on average, and at times,
considerably faster. The variation might even be useful.
Anyway, the whole solar system is orbiting the galactic nucleus far
faster than the Earth orbits the Sun, and the galaxy translates relative
to other galaxies faster still. Is this fluid a local phenominum or is
it supposed to be universal?
*Also the moon's topography is not as well
* mapped.
* A third possibility would be to use some of the deep planetary
probes
* that have been launched. These have a rather high orbital speed around
* the sun. I remember reading that some of the robot probes we launched
to the outer planets suffered unexplained variations in their orbital
* trajectories. It would be interesting to find out if the variations
* were chaotic or not.
* Bob Clark
John Popelish
Ron Gorgichuk
Greetings,
Would the alignment of current communications satellites have any
variation due to this purported turbulance? Perhaps
geosynchronous orbits are too far removed. If not, then one
might get some data from adjustments required to keep these
satellites aligned with Earth stations.
Cheers,
Ron
Robert Clark
If one were to consider the effects to increase when the body is moving at a
high velocity with respect to the gravitating body, then I suppose the effects
might be noticeable in this case.
Bob Clark
Ron Gorgichuk <do...@FreeNet.Carleton.CA> wrote in article
<60ti13$k...@freenet-news.carleton.ca>...
Robert Clark
Ron Gorgichuk wrote:
>
> Greetings,
>
> Would the alignment of current communications satellites have any
> variation due to this purported turbulance? Perhaps
> geosynchronous orbits are too far removed. If not, then one
> might get some data from adjustments required to keep these
> satellites aligned with Earth stations.
>
> Cheers,
> Ron
I've found two papers discussing anomalies in satellite trajectories:
1.) "Theoretical motivation for gravitation experiments on ultra-low
energy antiprotons and antihydrogen,"
http://alice.cern.ch/format/showfull?uid=2772225_16074&base=CERCER&sysnb=0192982,
and
2.)"LAGEOS I once-per-revolution force due to solar heating",
http://www.physics.umd.edu/rgroups/astro-metro/lageos/rubincam.html.
Bob Clark