A search for anisotropy of inertial mass using a free precession technique
- Creators
- Drever, R. W. P.
Abstract
The idea that the inertial mass of a body may a.rise from a gravitational coupling with distant matter has led to suggestions that the concentration of matter near the centre of our galaxy may result in an anisotropy of inertia at the earth which could be detected experimentally. In particular, Cocconi and Salpeter (1958, l960) have pointed out that such an anisotropy might cause shifts in energy levels of atoms and nuclei in magnetic fields. They suggest, for example, that in a nucleus which can be regarded as a single p_(3/2) nucleon moving in an isotropic central potential the energies of the states with magnetic quantum numbers m_1 = ± 3/2 would he increased slightly if the magnetic field were parallel to the direction of the centre of the Galaxy, and the energies of the states with m_1 = ± l/2 would be decreased by an equal amount; while if the magnetic field were perpendicular to the direction of the centre of the Galaxy the energies would be shifted in the opposite directions.
Additional Information
© 1961 Taylor and Francis. Received February 8, 1961. The author would like to thank Mr. T. D. S. Hamilton for doing some preliminary experiments with nuclear resonance equipment, and for loans of apparatus. He would also like to thank Drs. G. A. P. Wyllie and G. M. Lewis for helpful discussions and Professor P. I. Dee for his encouragement.Additional details
- Eprint ID
- 63738
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20160119-072850461
- Created
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2016-01-21Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
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2021-11-10Created from EPrint's last_modified field