Testing Relativity: Spinning in Space - Feasible?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the feasibility of testing relativity and time dilation through the design of a spinning object in space that houses a clock. Participants explore the potential for such an experiment, the mechanics involved, and the implications for understanding relativistic effects.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant proposes designing a spinning object in space to test time dilation, questioning its feasibility and previous attempts.
  • Another participant challenges the idea by stating that the only relevant parameter is speed, suggesting that even extreme spinning would not exceed rocket speeds.
  • Concerns are raised about the structural integrity of the spinning object, with participants suggesting it could fall apart due to centrifugal forces.
  • There is a mention of the potential for catastrophic failure if the object spins too fast, leading to dangerous fragments.
  • A link to a related resource is provided, indicating that some work has been done in this area, though details are not elaborated upon.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the feasibility of spinning an object in space to test relativity. While some see potential in the idea, others highlight significant challenges and limitations, indicating that the discussion remains unresolved.

Contextual Notes

Participants note the dependence on the object's design and the limits of current technology, as well as the unresolved nature of how fast an object could realistically be spun in space without structural failure.

jreelawg
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I was thinking about ways to test relativity, and time dilation.

The idea popped in my head of designing something, housing a clock, with the intention of getting it to spin in the vacuum of space, as fast as possible, and observe the difference in time.

Is this feasible? Has this been done before?

Aside from the relativity aspect, I just thought it would be cool to see how fast we could spin something.

I imagine a skinny cylinder, with receiving antennas at each end, powered by microwaves beamed into it from separate power sources. I'm not sure what type of propulsion would be used.

Has this been done before? What is the artificial RPM world record?

Also, what is the fastest know natural spinning object in space?
 
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hi jreelawg! :smile:
jreelawg said:
I was thinking about ways to test relativity, and time dilation.

The idea popped in my head of designing something, housing a clock, with the intention of getting it to spin in the vacuum of space, as fast as possible, and observe the difference in time.

how would this test relativity? :confused:

the only relevant parameter is the speed, and even if you could spin it 1,000 times a second with a diameter of a metre, that still wouldn't be any faster than a rocket

plus … won't very accurate clocks get dyspepsia if you treat them like that? :redface:
 
tiny-tim said:
hi jreelawg! :smile:


how would this test relativity? :confused:

the only relevant parameter is the speed, and even if you could spin it 1,000 times a second with a diameter of a metre, that still wouldn't be any faster than a rocket

plus … won't very accurate clocks get dyspepsia if you treat them like that? :redface:

I had the idea that in space, you could get an object to spin much faster than a rocket. Two things are in your favor for in this case. First, you can use a nearby power source, and observe the object. This means, that you could keep it accelerating until it becomes impossible, at which point I would guess is a very extreme velocity.

Can you tell me why you think we could not spin an object in space fast enough to test relativity?
 
jreelawg said:
an you tell me why you think we could not spin an object in space fast enough to test relativity?

i think it would fall apart :redface:
 
tiny-tim said:
i think it would fall apart :redface:

Exactly. Spinning an object too fast, in space or on earth, can and will cause catastrophic centrifugal instability and a potentially lethal environment from high velocity fragments of the breakdown.
 
jreelawg said:
I was thinking about ways to test relativity, and time dilation.

The idea popped in my head of designing something, housing a clock, with the intention of getting it to spin in the vacuum of space, as fast as possible, and observe the difference in time.

Is this feasible? Has this been done before?

Sort of:

http://einstein.stanford.edu/
 
Nice read Andy. Also nice web site. Had not been there before.
 

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