gravity does not propagate but is instantaneous

[nova_explored]

i think there is a missing component to the equations regarding gravity and gravitational energy.<br /><br />gravity is local under classical newtonian physics follwing the inverse square law, light follows this law as well, but a photons strength remains in tact through out, it is the dispersion of the wave energy that changes- or the amount in a specified area. <br /><br />gravity however exhibits a total reduction over distance. there is no wave effect as originally posted. any body in a gravitational field is susceptible to instantaneous change by any other body in that field. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[siarad]

If these reducing shells cause it to turn in by what means does it fight back & turn out

 

[danwoodard]

I went back and read the link on the original post to an article by Tom Van Flandern. It stated that gravity must propogate instantaneously because otherwise an orbiting pair of bodies would be subject to a torque because each is drawn to a point slightly different from the direction of the other body. Van Flandern says that, since there is no such torque, gravity must be instantaneous.<br /><br />But in fact, the orbit of Mercury actually DOES precess because there IS just such a torque, which is greater than can be accounted for by the perturbations of other planets. This has been known since the nineteenth century. The orbits of the other planets also precess due to the torque introduced by gravitational lag, but for other planets the effect is to small to measure.<br /><br />Gravitons are massless so they are not attracted by gravity, even that of a black hole.<br /><br />In other words, the observational evidence originally presented in this discussion to suggest that gravity is instantaneous is simply not correct. Observations over more than a century and widely published, i.e. http://phyun5.ucr.edu/~wudka/Physics7/Notes_www/node98.html shows the exact opposite. <br /><br />Here's a really complete explanation of the precession of Mercury and how general relativity explains it. It takes a little math, but then all good things do.<br /><br />http://www.mathpages.com/rr/s6-02/6-02.htm<br />