On Measuring Gravitomagnetism via Spaceborne Clocks: A Gravitomagnetic Clock Effect

TL;DR

This paper investigates using spaceborne clocks in different orbits to measure Earth's gravitomagnetic field through the clock effect, offering a potential alternative to Gravity Probe-B.

Contribution

It proposes a novel method to detect gravitomagnetism using spaceborne clocks based on the clock effect, expanding measurement techniques beyond existing experiments.

Findings

The proper azimuthal period difference is proportional to J/Mc^2.

The proposed method is theoretically equivalent to Gravity Probe-B.

Potential for spaceborne clocks to measure Earth's gravitomagnetic field.

Abstract

The difference in the proper azimuthal periods of revolution of two standard clocks in direct and retrograde orbits about a central rotating mass is proportional to J/Mc^2, where J and M are, respectively, the proper angular momentum and mass of the source. In connection with this gravitomagnetic clock effect, we explore the possibility of using spaceborne standard clocks for detecting the gravitomagnetic field of the Earth. It is shown that this approach to the measurement of the gravitomagnetic field is, in a certain sense, theoretically equivalent to the Gravity Probe-B concept.