Geodetic Precession and Inertial Frame

Dragging

Introduction

The theory of general relativity is radically different From Newtons theory of

gravity. As a result, there have been a lot of predictions made which were not
there in Newtons gravitational theory. This project deals with some such
predictions. One is the geodetic precession of a gyroscope and the other is the
inertial frame dragging by massive rotating objects. I have included a brief
discussion of the topics in G.R which are necessary, followed by the mathematical formulation of geodetic precession and frame dragging. These predictions have been accurately tested by the recently decommissioned Gravity
Probe B, verifying the credibility of the theory. The experimental procedure
and setup has also been discussed.

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2.1

General Relativity
Equivalence Principle

A freely falling observer, in his immediate vicinity does not feel any gravitational field. It can be easily shown that the motion of a particle in a
uniformly accelerated frame is same as the motion of the particle in a uniform gravitational field. In fact the effect of gravity can be negated by an
observer falling with the acceleration of gravity. The equation of motion of
a particle in gravitational field g is
d2 (x)
=g
dt2

For a freely falling frame O moving with acceleration g in the direction of

field
x = x0 + gt2
d2 (x0 )
=0
dt2
This similarity between a uniformly accelerated frame and uniform gravitational field is known as the equivalence principle. General relativity assumes
that not only the motion of particles is the same in the two cases but all the
laws of physics are the same in both the cases.

2.2

The Metric and the curvature

The metric is a second rank tensor with its components given by

g = e~ .e~

(1)

This gives us a way to compute the line element

ds2 = g dx dx

(2)

The line element of special relativistic mechanics is given by the flat space
metric
ds2 = dt2 + dx2 + dy 2 + dz 2

1 0 0 0
0 1 0 0

=
0 0 1 0
0 0 0 1

(3)
(4)

Any free particle moves on a geodesic of extremal proper time. Now to

explain the motion of particles in gravity, GR does away with the idea of a
field and replaces it with a spacetime which is inherently curved. Particles
move in this spacetime as if there is no force on them and produce the orbits.
In a locally inertial frame the trajectory of the particle is given by
d~u
=0
d

(5)
(6)

In any arbitrary frame the trajectory will be given by

d(u e )
=0
d
de
du
e + u
=0
d
d
de
e dx
=
d
x d
de
= u e
d

(7)
(8)
(9)
(10)

are known as Christoffel symbols. They denote the component of the

partial derivatie of e with respect to x in the direction of e .Substituting
eqn. 10 in eqn 8 we get
du
e + u u e = 0
d

(11)

Interhanging the dummy variable and we get the equation only in e

 du


+ u u e = 0
(12)
d
Equation 12 is known as the geodesic equation of a particle in a general
spacetime.

Geodetic Precession

In geodetic precession we focus our attention towards the spin of a gyroscope

which is revolving around a massive object. For the simplicity of calculation
we consider the orbit to be spherical.The results obtained for the evolution
of the spin of the gyro from newtonian mechanics and general relativity are
quite different. Newtonian mechanics predicts that the spin of the gyroscope,
after one complete revolution, will point in the same direction as it was pointing before.As we will see, this not always true in general relativity.
The motion of the gyroscope is given by equation 12. In addition to the four
velocity of the gyro we describe its spin by a four vector called the spin (s).
In the local inertial frame, in which the gyroscope is at rest, the spin is a
spatial vector,s = (0, ~s), with the spatial compunent pointed in the direction of the spin.In the frame of the gyro u = (1, 0). This implies that :
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s.u = 0

(13)

In a flat local inertial frame the spin of a gyro is constant. Hence,

d(~s)
=0
d

(14)

To get the expression in a general frame we have to proceed in the same way
as in the derivation of the geodesic equation, only in place of u in equation
11 we will get s . Replacing the dummy variables in the same way we will
get what is called the gyroscope equation.
ds
+ s u = 0
d

(15)

We have assumed the gyroscope to be revolving around a sphercal mass. The

calculation of the precession of the gyroscope is done from the coordinate
basis where the spacetime is given by the Schwarzschild geometry


1

2M
2M
2
2
dt + 1
dr2 + r2 (d2 + sin2 d2 )
(16)
ds = 1
r
r
Suppose that the gyroscope is revolving in a circular orbit in the equitorial
plane i.e = 2 . Hence u has only the t and the components.
u =

d
d dt
=
= ut
d
dt d

(17)

where is the angular velocity, which has the same dependence on mass and
radius of orbit as in Newtonian mechanics
2 =

M
R3

(18)

The gyro is also supposed to have its spin pointing in the radial direction
with magnitude s .We now have to solve the gyroscope equation for all the
components.Since the gyro is in the equitorial plane and both the directions
for its spin are symmetrical it wont go in either direction because of the
symmetry of its position. This makes s zero.


2M t t
s.u = 1
u s + R 2 s u = 0
(19)
R
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Solving for st using equation 18 and 19


1
2M
s =R 1
s
R
t

(20)

Now to sove for the remaining components of the spin of the gyro we have
to plug in the various Christoffel symbols for the Shwarzschild geometry into
equation 15 and eliminate st by using the above condition. Using this we
arrive at two coupled equations in sr and s .
dsr
(R 3M )s = 0
dt
ds r
+ s =0
dt
R

(21a)
(21b)

Differentiating equation 21.b once and putting dsdt from equation 21.a we get


3M
d2 s
+ 1
2 s = 0
(22)
dt
R
The above equations is just a simple harmonic equation with frequency
0

3M
1
R

1/2

Solution for s and then sr after putting the intial conditions is

1/2

2M
r
sin (0 t)
s = s 1
R

1/2 

2M

s = s 1
sin (0 t)
0
R
R

(23)

(24a)
(24b)

At the beginning of the orbit s =(0,s (1-(2M/R)),0,0).After completion of

one orbit ie at t = 2/, the angle between the initial and final spins is given
by
1

cos

cos

 sr (t =

2 
)

sr (t = 0)
 20 
1
cos cos

(25)
(26)

The precession in the spin of the gyro is given by



1/2 
3M
= 2 1 1
R

(27)

The spin after one revolution rotates by in the direction of motion. To

get the rotation in the laboratory frame (where the gyro is at rest), we have
to perform Lorentz transformations to the spin. Since the radial direction
is perpendicular to the direction of motion, the radial component of the
spin will remain the same. Hence there wont be any change in the above
calculation and in the lab frame will be the same.

Lense-Thirring effect

In this section we will try to study the geometry of spacetime outside a

rotating spherical body using a gyroscope. We will assume the gyroscope
to be freely falling under the action of gravity and look at its spin. Let
us assume that the gyro is falling along the rotation axis and its spin is
pointing in the 0 directon.The Schwarzschild geometry is symmetric about
rotations in the = constant plane. Hence there cant be any precession
in the plane without breaking this symmetry. But the geometry outside
a rotating spherical mass is different from the Schwarzschild geometry. The
line element is dependent upon the angular momentum J, which is given in
cartesian coordinates by :


xdy ydx
4GJ
2
2
+ ...
(28)
ds = (ds )Schwarzschild 3 2 (cdt)
cr
r
The dots repereseting terms of higher order in J which is not much useful
for slowly rotating bodies. The z axis is aligned with the axis of rotation.We
will find the preccession to the leading order in 1/c3 . Since the Schwarzschild
geometry contains terms of order GM/c2 combined with the 1/c3 correction
term due to rotation, it will give results of the order 1/c5 . Hence for simplicity, the Schwarzchild metric can be replaced with the flat space metric. Since
the gyro is in free fall along the z axis its four velocity and spin is given by:
u = (ut , 0, 0, uz )
s = (st , sx , sy , sz )
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(29)
(30)

To find the spin as a functions of time we have to find the Christoffel symbols
for this geometry. The non vanishing Christoffel symbols fo sz of leading
order in 1/c are :
6GJyz
c2 r 5
6GJxz
zty = zyt = 2 5
cr
ztx = zxt =

(31a)
(31b)

Since the gyroscope is moving along the z axis (x=y=0), all the Christoffel
symbols vanish.
dsz
=0
d
sz = constant = 0

(32)
(33)

Now to satisfy equation 13, spin should be of the form:

s = (0, sx , sy , 0)

(34)

The non vanishing Christoffel symbols for sx and sy are:

2GJ
c2 z 3
2GJ
ytx = zxt = 2 3
cz
xty = zyt =

(35a)
(35b)

Hence the differetial equations for sx and sy to leading order in 1/c are:
2GJ
dsx
= 2 3 sy
dt
cz
dsy
2GJ x
= 2 3s
dt
cz

(36a)
(36b)

The above coupled equations describe a gyroscope spinning around the z axis
in the same direction as the body that is curving the space is rotating. This
is called the Lense-Thirring precession. The angular velocity of precession is
given by
2GJ
(37)
LT = 2 3
cz

4.1

Inertial Frame Dragging

In the above thought experiment the observer in the freely falling frame of the
gyro can construct a reference frame using gyroscopes and setting their spin
in 3 orthogonal directions. Since ei .ej are zero initially they will continue to
be zero for all time. But due to the Lense-Thirring precession, the spin of the
gyroscopes will point in different directions at different times. The Observer
on the laboratiory will conclude that the inertial frame he constructed is
rotating along with the rotating mass. It is in this sense that inertial frames
are dragged by rotating bodies.

Gravity Probe B

The above derived predictions of Geodetic Precession and Lense-Thirring

effect have been succesfully verified by Gravity probe B. This 750 million
dollar project was put into a polar orbit around the earth and housed four
gyroscopes. Each of these gyros measured both the geodetic Precession and
the Lense-Thirring effect. The spin of the gyroscopes was pointed in the
direction of IM Pegasi which is a binary star in the constellation Pegasus,
with the geotetic and Lense-Thirring precession at right angle with respect
to each other.
The Gyroscopes were spherical balls made up of fused quartz coated with a
layer of niobium. The gyros were put in a vacuum flask which was cooled with
liquid helium to a temperature of1.8 Kelvin required to make the nioubium
superconductive. Finally the gyros were made to spin using a jet of helium
gas. A spinning superconductor produces a magnetic field in the same direction as its spin axis. Hence by finding the direction of the magnetic field the
spin axis of the gyros could be monitored.

5.1

Data Review

The predicted value for the geodetc precession and the Lense-Thirring precession for the gyros were -6,606.1 milliarcsecond/year and -39.2 milliarcsecond/year respectively. The data analysed in an article published in the
Physical Review Letters in 2011 reported an averaged values of -6,601.818.3
milliarcsecond/year and 37.2 7.2 milliarcsecond/year for the two precessions
respectively. These values being very close to the predicted values successfully confirms these predictions.
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References
[1] James B. Hartle Gravity: An Introduction to Einsteins General Relativity
[2] Bernard F. Schutz A first course in general relativity
[3] Everitt et al Gravity Probe B: Final Results of a Space Experiment to
Test General Relativity Physical Review Letters 106 (22): 221101 2011
[4] Wikipedia www.wikipedia.org

Acknowledgement
I would like to thank my project guide, Professor Shiv Sethi for his valuable
guidance and support. Also the resources available to me throughout the
IISc campus were very helpful.

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