From: ABlainey@aol.com
Date: Fri Jul 11 2003 - 17:52:48 MDT
In a message dated 12/07/2003 00:18:11 GMT Daylight Time, mlorrey@yahoo.com
writes:
> Well, the frame dragging phenomenon found in galactic arm structures is
> certainly an indication that gravity propagates at speed of light or
> thereabouts. On a different note, keep in mind that phenomena like
> supernova would not form black holes as they do if gravity did not
> travel in wave fronts at a finite velocity. If gravity propagated
> instantaneously, then massive stars would just magically turn into
> black holes without all the messy explosive effects.
>
It is because of observables like this and common sense that give me
reservations about instantanious propogation. I did get caught up in the idea and
start to get sparks of possible belief when I considered that the speed of light
is not an absolute maximum, more a relative maximum.
By this I mean that if you are at fixed position and you emit a beam of laser
light into space. The light can only travel at the speed of light (duh). Then
if that laser is driving a light sail craft which has attained a speed of a
quater the speed of light (it has been out there for quite a while). Then the
light sail craft can emit a beam of light forwards also at the speed of light.
Relative to our fixed position, this beam from the craft will be traveling at
1.25 times the speed of light. To us this is an imposible speed, but from the
relative viewpoint of the light craft, it doesnt break any laws.
Somehow from this simple idea, I started to imagine that Gravity could
propogate in a similar manner. Where gravity waves themselves emit gravity waves or
cause them by defleting the space in front of them, ad infinitem. The energy
of the secondary waves must have less 'gravitational pull' due to the fact
that it must be propogated at the speed of light. This would give rise to an
effect where gravity waves expand out from the source at ever increasing speed and
ever decreasing strength.
Like I said previously. It all got a bit much for my head, mainly because of
the lack of facts, figures and the holes in the idea. At the end of it all, I
was left with a sort of fuzzy feeling that gravity could possibly propogate
instantaniously. Which would be very nice, but very very unlikely.
Alex
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