Ride Gravitational Waves to Increase Speed?

[wcivch]

TL;DR

Can you use conservation of momentum and gravitational waves to facilitate faster space travel?

This is my first post so I apologize if i am in error anywhere. I recently had a thought that I have had trouble confirming. Based on the following assumptions.

1.) As you accelerate an object near the speed of light it’s mass increases exponentially.
2.) Mass warps space time.
3.) Spacetime expands via gravitational waves at the speed of light.

Essentially what I was wondering is could you use an accelerator to move an object or particle (in a circle around the space craft) to approach the speed of light. The object would gain mass exponentially warping spacetime. Then stop accelerating the object and the relative mass would decrease causing spacetime to ripple outwards as it “corrects” the warping from the now gone mass. If you accelerated the craft, could you “ride” the gravitational wave to achieve much “faster” velocities?

 

[Vanadium 50]

Summary:: Can you use conservation of momentum and gravitational waves to facilitate faster space travel?

1.) As you accelerate an object near the speed of light it’s mass increases exponentially.
2.) Mass warps space time.
3.) Spacetime expands via gravitational waves at the speed of light.

(1) and (3) are incorrect. So any conclusions based on that are suspect.

 

[berkeman]

(Changed thread prefix from "A" = Advanced/Graduate School level discussion to "B" = Basic level discussion.)

 

[wcivch]

(1) and (3) are incorrect. So any conclusions based on that are suspect.

Have I misunderstood relativistic mass? M= yMo. As well as the speed of gravity is the speed of light and gravitational waves propagate at that speed. Relativity showed that gravity was not instantaneous and that it’s effects were bound by the speed of light. Where am I missing something? Or maybe I’m just poorly describing?
https://ned.ipac.caltech.edu/level5/ESSAYS/Boughn/boughn.html

 

[Dale]

1.) As you accelerate an object near the speed of light it’s mass increases exponentially.

Relativistic mass has been discarded for decades now, and even Einstein recommended against it about a century ago.

What does increase is energy and momentum

2.) Mass warps space time.

The stress energy tensor curves space time, and the stress energy tensor includes energy and momentum. However, in some sense the curvature from the momentum undoes the curvature from the energy. So when both are increased you don’t get an increase in the spacetime curvature.

So this will not help surf a gravitational wave to higher speeds

 

[Orodruin]

Have I misunderstood relativistic mass? M= yMo.

Please see https://www.physicsforums.com/insights/what-is-relativistic-mass-and-why-it-is-not-used-much/

 

[PeterDonis]

Have I misunderstood relativistic mass?

Yes. It is not the source of gravity. The stress-energy tensor is the source of gravity. But an object's stress-energy tensor is a frame-independent object. Relativistic mass is not.

the speed of gravity is the speed of light and gravitational waves propagate at that speed

This is correct, but your (3) in your OP does not say what the quote just above says and is not correct.