Constraining the Angular Momentum of the Sun with Planetary Orbital Motions and General Relativity

The angular momentum of a star is an important astrophysical quantity related to its internal structure, formation, and evolution. Helioseismology yields $S_{\odot}= 1.92\times10^{41}\ \mathrm{kg\ m^{2}\ s^{-1}}$ for the angular momentum of the Sun. We show how it should be possible to constrain it in a near future by using the gravitomagnetic Lense?CThirring effect predicted by General Relativity for the orbit of a test particle moving around a central rotating body. We also discuss the present-day situation in view of the latest determinations of the supplementary perihelion precession of Mercury. A fit by Fienga et al. (Celestial Mech. Dynamical Astron. 111, 363, 2011) of the dynamical models of several standard forces acting on the planets of the solar system to a long data record yielded milliarcseconds per century. The modeled forces did not include the Lense?CThirring effect itself, which is expected to be as large as from helioseismology-based values of S _??. By assuming the validity of General Relativity, from its theoretical prediction for the gravitomagnetic perihelion precession of Mercury, one can straightforwardly infer $S_{\odot}\leq0.95\times10^{41}\ \mathrm{kg\, m^{2}\, s^{-1}}$ . It disagrees with the currently available values from helioseismology. Possible sources for the present discrepancy are examined. Given the current level of accuracy in the Mercury ephemerides, the gravitomagnetic force of the Sun should be included in their force models. MESSENGER, in orbit around Mercury since March 2011, will collect science data until 2013, while BepiColombo, to be launched in 2015, should reach Mercury in 2022 for a year-long science phase: the analysis of their data will be important in effectively constraining S _?? in about a decade or, perhaps, even less.     

Shadow of Kerr-Taub-NUT black hole

The shadow of a rotating black hole with nonvanishing gravitomagnetic charge has been studied. It was shown that in addition to the angular momentum of black hole the gravitomagnetic charge term deforms the shape of the black hole shadow. From the numerical results we have obtained that for a given value of the rotation parameter, the presence of a gravitomagnetic charge enlarges the shadow and reduces its deformation with respect to the spacetime without gravitomagnetic charge. Finally we have studied the capture cross section for massive particles by black hole with the nonvanishing gravitomagnetic charge.     

Extracting information from the gravitational redshift of compact rotating objects

Essential macroscopic internal properties of compact objects can be related to each other with the help of General Relativity. A somewhat familiar example is the relationship between the compactness M/R and the gravitational redshift for nonrotating bodies. Rotation poses new challenges when trying to relate observed or potentially observed quantities such as the graviational redshift, mass, radius, and angular velocity. Using a perturbative approach, we present an analytical approximation whose purpose is to relate these quantities. Two main results are highlighted: Derivation of a new maximal angular velocity depending only on the mass of the object and a possible estimate of the radius from a measurement of the gravitational redshift.     

Weak lensing in the second post-Newtonian approximation: gravitomagnetic potentials and the integrated Sachs–Wolfe effect

Dark matter currents in the large-scale structure give rise to gravitomagnetic terms in the metric, which affect the light propagation. Corrections to the weak-lensing power spectrum due to these gravitomagnetic potentials are evaluated by perturbation theory. A connection between gravitomagnetic lensing and the integrated Sachs–Wolfe (iSW) effect is drawn, which can be described by a line-of-sight integration over the divergence of the gravitomagnetic vector potential. This allows the power spectrum of the iSW-effect to be derived within the framework of the same formalism as derived for gravitomagnetic lensing and reduces the iSW-effect to a second-order lensing phenomenon. The three-dimensional power spectra are projected by means of a generalized Limber-equation to yield the angular power spectra. Gravitomagnetic corrections to the weak-lensing spectrum are negligible at currently accessible scales, and cosmic-variance considerations suggest that the detection of the iSW-effect's contribution to the cosmic microwave background angular power spectrum is too small to be detectable at multipoles probed by the Planck satellite.     

Induced causality

Alternatives to General Relativity with respect to its causal structure are deeply connected with Mach's hypothesis of the cosmic origin of inertial properties. We consider the main features of a theoretical scheme to construct such alternatives and show that observable effects may be estimated without full construction of a theory. From the point of these alternatives, the light cone of Special Relativity is highly degenerated, and any deviation from General Relativity in the direction considered will reduce this degeneracy. Therefore the effects possible in the alternatives considered provide tests already on the level of Special Relativity.     

Angular momentum and gyroscope in flat space-time theory of gravitation

The study of a previously proposed theory of gravitation in flat space-time (Petry, 1981a) is continued. A conservation law for the angular momentum is derived. Additional to the usual form, there must be added a term coming from the spin of the gravitational field. The equations of motion and of spin angular momentum for a spinning test particle in a gravitational field are given. An approximation of the equations of the spin angular momentum in the rest frame of the test particle is studied. For a gyroscope in an orbit of a rotating massive body (e.g., the Earth) the precession of the spin axis agrees with the result of Einstein's general theory of relativity.     

Bulges versus discs: the evolution of angular momentum in cosmological simulations of galaxy formation

We investigate the evolution of angular momentum in simulations of galaxy formation in a cold dark matter universe. We analyse two model galaxies generated in the N -body/hydrodynamic simulations of Okamoto et al. Starting from identical initial conditions, but using different assumptions for the baryonic physics, one of the simulations produced a bulge-dominated galaxy and the other one a disc-dominated galaxy. The main difference is the treatment of star formation and feedback, both of which were designed to be more efficient in the disc-dominated object. We find that the specific angular momentum of the disc-dominated galaxy tracks the evolution of the angular momentum of the dark matter halo very closely: the angular momentum grows as predicted by linear theory until the epoch of maximum expansion and remains constant thereafter. By contrast, the evolution of the angular momentum of the bulge-dominated galaxy resembles that of the central, most bound halo material: it also grows at first according to linear theory, but 90 per cent of it is rapidly lost as pre-galactic fragments, into which gas had cooled efficiently, merge, transferring their orbital angular momentum to the outer halo by tidal effects. The disc-dominated galaxy avoids this fate because the strong feedback reheats the gas, which accumulates in an extended hot reservoir and only begins to cool once the merging activity has subsided. Our analysis lends strong support to the classical theory of disc formation whereby tidally torqued gas is accreted into the centre of the halo conserving its angular momentum.     

Resolving the Degeneracy: Experimental Tests of the New Self Creation Cosmology and a Heterodox Prediction for Gravity Probe B

The new theory of Self Creation Cosmology has been shown to yield a concordant cosmological solution that does not require inflation, exotic non-baryonic Dark matter or unknown Dark Energy to fit observational constraints. In vacuo there is a conformal equivalence between this theory and canonical General Relativity and as a consequence an experimental degeneracy exists as the two theories predict identical results in the standard tests. However, there are three definitive experiments that are able to resolve this degeneracy and distinguish between the two theories. Here these standard tests and definitive experiments are described. One of the definitive predictions, that of the geodetic precession of a gyroscope, has just been measured on the Gravity Probe B satellite, which is at the present time of writing in the data processing stage. This is the first opportunity to falsify Self Creation Cosmology. The theory predicts a ‘frame-dragging’ result equal to GR but a geodetic precession of only 2/3 the GR value. When applied to the Gravity Probe B satellite, Self Creation Cosmology predicts an E–W gravitomagnetic/frame-dragging precession, equal to that of GR, of 40.9 milliarcsec/yr but a N–S gyroscope (geodetic + Thomas) precession of just 4.4096 arcsec/yr.     

时间、距离、速度、红移基本物理概念的演变简史

为了尝试回答“我们能否观测到退行速度超过光速的星系”这一问题,重新考察了在牛顿物理学、狭义相对论、广义相对论和宇宙学中的时伺、距离、速度和红移等概念．揭开了一些错误观念的实质,发现只要摆脱狭义相对论先入为主的束缚,上述问题即可迎刃而解．强调了宇宙学并不是纯粹的广义相对论,而是该理论在服从宇宙学原理的条件下的一个特例,其中一系列基本物理概念都因此得到新的内涵。     

Relativistic Jets from Accretion Disks

The jets observed to emanate from many compact accreting objects may arise from the twisting of a magnetic field threading a differentially rotating accretion disk which acts to magnetically extract angular momentum and energy from the disk. Two main regimes have been discussed, hydromagnetic jets, which have a significant mass flux and have energy and angular momentum carried by both matter and electromagnetic field and, Poynting jets, where the mass flux is small and energy and angular momentum are carried predominantly by the electromagnetic field. Here, we describe recent theoretical work on the formation of relativistic Poynting jets from magnetized accretion disks. Further, we describe new relativistic, fully electromagnetic, particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations of the formation of jets from accretion disks. Analog Z-pinch experiments may help to understand the origin of astrophysical jets.     

A tensor-tensor theory of gravitation

One approach to a tensor-tensor theory of gravitation is proposed as an attempt to represent Mach's principle in a consistent way. In this theory the geometrodynamic properties of General Relativity are still valid, but not necessarily its field equations. Einstein's equations may be obtained as a special case.Most of this work was developed during the author's stay in the Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México 14, D. F.     

Adiabatic chaos in the spin–orbit problem

We provide evidences that the angular momentum of a symmetric rigid body in a spin–orbit resonance can perform large scale chaotic motions on time scales which increase polynomially with the inverse of the oblateness of the body. This kind of irregular precession appears as soon as the orbit of the center of mass is non-circular and the angular momentum of the body is far from the principal directions with minimum (maximum) moment of inertia. We also provide a quantitative explanation of these facts by using the theory of adiabatic invariants, and we provide numerical applications to the cases of the 1:1 and 1:2 spin–orbit resonances.     

Quantum gravitomagnetic clock effect in Kerr gravitational field

We have found an approximate solution of Dirac equation using Foldy-Wouthuysen-Tani Hamiltonian of a Dirac particle in the Kerr gravitational field. We have solved the equation approximately using time-independent perturbation theory for the positive energy states. We have found frequencies by which these states oscillate. Difference of the periods of any of these two states has an identical form of the classical gravitomagnetic clock effect where the terms are quantized. So that, we have found a quantum version of the gravitomagnetic clock effect of a Dirac fermion in the Kerr gravitational field.     

Kinematic effect in gravitational lensing by clusters of galaxies

Gravitational lensing provides an efficient tool for the investigation of matter structures, independent of the dynamical or the hydrostatic equilibrium properties of the deflecting system. However, it depends on the kinematic status. In fact, either a translational motion or a coherent rotation of the mass distribution can affect the lensing properties. Here, light deflection by galaxy clusters in motion is considered. Even if gravitational lensing mass measurements of galaxy clusters are regarded as very reliable estimates, the kinematic effect should be considered. A typical peculiar motion with respect to the Hubble flow brings about a systematic error ≲0.3 per cent, independent of the mass of the cluster. On the other hand, the effect of the spin increases with the total mass. For cluster masses  ∼10¹⁵ M_⊙  , the effect of the gravitomagnetic term is ≲0.04 per cent on strong lensing estimates and ≲0.5 per cent in the weak-lensing analyses. The total kinematic effect on the mass estimate is then ≲1 per cent, which is negligible in current statistical studies. In the weak-lensing regime, the rotation imprints a typical angular modulation in the tangential shear distortion. This would allow, in principle, a detection of the gravitomagnetic field and a direct measurement of the angular velocity of the cluster but the required background source densities are well beyond current technological capabilities.     

Solar system constraints on multifield theories of modified dynamics

Any viable theory of modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND) as modified gravity is likely to require fields in addition to the usual tensor field of General Relativity. For these theories, the MOND phenomenology emerges as an effective fifth force probably associated with a scalar field. Here, I consider the constraints imposed on such theories by Solar system phenomenology, primarily by the absence of significant deviations from inverse-square attraction in the inner Solar system as well as detectable local preferred frame effects. The current examples of multifield theories can be constructed to satisfy these constraints and such theories lead inevitably to an anomalous non-inverse-square force in the outer Solar system.     

On the nonradiative magnetized accretion flows with convection

In this paper, we explore the radial structure of radiatively inefficient accretion flows (RIAFs) in the presence of an ordered magnetic field and convection. We assume the magnetic field has the toroidal and vertical components. We apply the influences of convection on equations of angular momentum and energy. The convective instability can transport the angular momentum inward or outward. We establish two cases for consideration of the effects of convection parameter on magnetized RIAFs. In the first case, we assume the convection parameter as a free parameter and in the other case we calculate convection parameter through use of mixing length theory. In both cases, the solutions show that a magnetized RIAF is very sensitive to the convection parameter and transport direction of angular momentum due to convection. Moreover, we show that the convection strength strongly depends on magnetic field and viscosity.     

Expanding,homogeneous, ellipsoidal density perturbations. III. A simple theory for the acquisition of angular momentum by tidal torques with the effects of the spin growth on the expansion included

The effects of the acquisition of angular momentum on the expansion of homogeneous, ellipsoidal density perturbations is investigated by generalizing the theory of previous papers of this series, where spin grows to the first order in overdensity. A small difference is found to be between the two cases, except for the fact that the body under consideration becomes unbound earlier in the current approach. A comparison is also made with the results of a different theory, where spin grows to the second order in overdensity. Quasi-oblate triaxial configurations turn out to gain less angular momentum in respect to both oblate and more elongated configurations with same minor to major axis ratio. In all cases of physical interest, the spin growth from the beginning to the maximum ellipsoidal volume exceeds the spin growth from the maximum ellipsoidal volume to the turnaround of the major axis, by a factor of at least 3. It is also inferred that the spin growth from the turnaround of the major axis on, probably does not exceed about one third the angular momentum previously gained.