Massive objects like black holes and neutron stars appear to warp space and time in their surroundings, astronomers say in two new studies. The discovery gives a boost to Einstein’s general theory of relativity as well as to unorthodox “Star Trek” speculation.
The phenomenon observed by American and Italian astronomers is known as frame-dragging or Lense-Thirring precession.
As a consequence of Albert Einstein’s theories, physicists predicted in 1918 that the gravity of any spinning body should distort space and time in its surroundings, much like a twister picks up objects in their path. But the effect is so slight that it had never been detected in the more than seven decades since the prediction was first made.
Now American and Italian researchers say they have picked up evidence of the effect around black holes and fast-rotating neutron stars. Research papers on the subject were presented Nov. 6 at the American Astronomical Society’s High Energy Astrophysics Department meeting in Estes Park, Colo. Both studies cited observations made by NASA’s Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer satellite.
“Although theorists predicted the frame-dragging effect, they didn’t have any observational evidence to prove it before the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer,” said Wei Cui of the Center for Space Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who led the American research
team.
Not surprising. ;-) To read more, click here.