Re: Centrifugal force

[Hugh Logan <hlogan@ix.netcom.com>]

Chuck Britton wrote:
> Next question. Let's ignore the 'slight bump' but keep in mind that the
> rocket DOES have a finite size. If our experiments are accurate enough can
> we not measure that two falling objects in the rocket will move closer to
> each other because of the non-uniformity of a 'real' gravitational field,
> than they would when the acceleration is 'caused' by the rocket blast?
>
> I'm familiar with the word 'local' used to describe the principle of
> equivalence and GR, but is there a fundemental arguement that forbids our
> experimentally distinguishing between the divergent gravitational field and
> the uniform acceleration of the rocket??
I don't think there is anything, in principle, that would prevent
measuring the tidal effect other than whether or not the precision of
the instrumentation used was adequate to do so -- whether or not the
rocket ship was large enough in relation to the effects of the
divergence of the gravitational field of the earth to allow such effects
to be detected.

Hugh Logan