Gravitomagnetic accelerators

2010/05/31 by Carmen Chicone, C. Chicone, Bahram Mashhoon +1
Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations #Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena #Classical mechanics #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #General relativity #Geodesic #Geometry #Gravitoelectromagnetism #Magnetic field #Mathematics #Physics #Quantum mechanics #Rotation (mathematics) #Simple (philosophy) #Spacetime #astro-ph.HE #gr-qc #hep-th

paper · pdf · doi:10.1016/j.physleta.2010.12.076

published as Phys.Lett.A375:957-960,2011 · 4 pages, 2 figures; v2: reference added; v3: slightly expanded version accepted for publication in Phys. Lett. A

arxiv created 2010/12/29 · openalex publication_date 2011/01/01 · arxiv updated 2015/03/16 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05

Abstract

We study a simple class of time-dependent rotating Ricci-flat cylindrically symmetric spacetime manifolds whose geodesics admit gravitomagnetic jets. The helical paths of free test particles in these jets up and down parallel to the rotation axis are analogous to those of charged particles in a magnetic field. The jets are attractors. The jet speed asymptotically approaches the speed of light. In effect, such source-free spacetime regions act as "gravitomagnetic accelerators".

Citations

• The generalized Jacobi equation
• Significance of c /sqrt2 in relativistic physics
• Helical motions in the jet of blazar 1156+295
• Complete classification of purely magnetic, nonrotating, nonaccelerating perfect fluids
• Physical interpretation of vacuum solutions of Einstein's equations. Part II. Time-dependent solutions