There are
only a few of science-fiction movies that really show what moving about inside
a spaceship would really be like. In most glances, they use a type of
"artificial gravity" that is never fully clarified. Now, a new study accepted for publication in Physical Review D might turn that science-fiction
idea into a reality.
Professor
André Füzfa, from the Universite de Namur in Belgium, believes we have the
technology to create and influence weak artificial gravitational fields. The
claim is bold but grounded. Füzfa has estimated that by using very strong
magnets, it’s possible to generate tiny distortions in the space-time.
Albeit
small, the effect should be strong enough to be evident with current
instruments (but would only be relevant for particles). The idea of having
artificial gravity on a spaceship is still in the distant future, but being
able to generate gravitational fields would turn the research of gravity from a
passive to an active science.
Our
ability to control fundamental forces, particularly electromagnetism, has had a
huge impact on our way of life, so learning to create small gravitational
fields could have long-lasting concerns for our technological development.
The
theoretical starting point of Füzfa's study is the equivalence principle. The
principle describes that the force experienced by an observer in a
gravitational field (like you on Earth) is equivalent to the force experienced
by another observer in a non-inertial field (an astronaut in an accelerated
spacecraft). In basic terms, if you were in a room with no windows, you would
not be able to say if you were in a gravitational field or the room was
accelerating in the direction of the ceiling.
The
equivalence principle tells us that every mass and every type of energy are
affected by and produce gravity, so it should be probable to create gravitational
fields using intense magnetic fields. Thus, Füzfa executed detailed
calculations solving Einstein’s general relativity equation around a powerful
looping electromagnet, and the conclusions indicates that the effect is minor
but significant. More significantly, he proposes that an experimental set-up
could be carried out with current technologies.
Although
the proposed experiment is possible, it would require a significant investment.
The magnetic fields need to be generated over many days using layers upon
layers of superconductive magnets, as well as cultured and sensitive laser
systems that can detect the small change in gravity within the magnets.
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