Gravitomagnetism and the Clock Effect

TL;DR

This paper reviews gravitomagnetism, focusing on the gravitomagnetic clock effect, its theoretical basis, implications for inertial dragging, and potential measurement using spaceborne clocks within the PPN framework.

Contribution

It provides a detailed theoretical analysis of the gravitomagnetic clock effect and explores its measurement prospects in space-based experiments.

Findings

The gravitomagnetic clock effect causes a measurable difference in proper periods of clocks in prograde and retrograde orbits.

The effect is closely linked to the gravitomagnetic precession of gyroscopes.

Measurement of the effect could provide insights into inertial dragging in general relativity.

Abstract

The main theoretical aspects of gravitomagnetism are reviewed. It is shown that the gravitomagnetic precession of a gyroscope is intimately connected with the special temporal structure around a rotating mass that is revealed by the gravitomagnetic clock effect. This remarkable effect, which involves the difference in the proper periods of a standard clock in prograde and retrograde circular geodesic orbits around a rotating mass, is discussed in detail. The implications of this effect for the notion of ``inertial dragging'' in the general theory of relativity are presented. The theory of the clock effect is developed within the PPN framework and the possibility of measuring it via spaceborne clocks is examined.