Gravity is not instantaneous

2003/02/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Fisika

According to the theory of relativity, the effect of gravity moves in space at the speed of light. Now, physicists' measurements have confirmed this.

Newton thought that gravity is instantaneous, that is, that from the moment there is mass there is gravity. But Einstein, through the theory of general relativity, explained the character of gravity: one of the consequences of this theory is that the gravitational field "expands".

To reach this conclusion, Jupiter is examined at the time when, seen from Earth, it was passing by a quasar. The mass of the planet worsens the trajectory of radio waves emitted by the quasar. Scientists have measured when this effect is detected from a terrestrial observatory and from this measure have calculated the speed at which the gravitational field generated by Jupiter extends.

However, some physicists have doubted that the outcome is correct. In fact, they have denounced that several erroneous assumptions on which the experiment is based may be. Therefore, like many other studies, the article just published has generated a debate among scientists.