[time-nuts] FW: Pendulums & Atomic Clocks & Gravity

[Dr Bruce Griffiths]

Bill Beam wrote:

    

>>> Not true.
>>> Very simple experiments will show occupants of the satellite that they
>>> are in a non-inertial reference frame.  (Release a few test masses
>>> about the cabin and you will observe that they move/accelerate for no
>>> apparent reason, unless the satellite is in free fall which you'll know soon
>>> enough,)  The experimenter must conclude that the satellite is undergoing
>>> acceleration due to the influence of an attractive (gravitational) field.
>>>
>>>       
Except when released at rest with respect to the satellites centre of 
mass the test masses will both drift towards the satellites centre of mass.
The outermost test mass will have too slow an orbital speed to remain at 
the position it was released and the innermost test mass will have too 
large an orbital speed to remain at the position at which it was released.


Bruce