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General relativity, formulated by Albert Einstein, is a theory of gravitation that describes gravity as the warping of spacetime by mass and energy, rather than as a force acting at a distance. It fundamentally changed our understanding of the universe, predicting phenomena such as the bending of light around massive objects and the existence of black holes.
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Spacetime curvature is a fundamental concept in Einstein's General Theory of Relativity, describing how matter and energy influence the geometry of the universe. It explains gravity not as a force, but as a result of objects following the curved paths in spacetime created by mass and energy distributions.
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The Lense-Thirring effect, also known as frame-dragging, is a relativistic phenomenon predicted by Einstein's General Theory of Relativity, where the rotation of a massive body 'drags' the spacetime around it. This effect has been observed in the vicinity of rotating astronomical objects like Earth and black holes, confirming the predictions of general relativity and enhancing our understanding of gravitational physics.
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Gravitomagnetism is a concept in general relativity that describes how moving masses generate a magnetic-like field, analogous to the magnetic field generated by moving electric charges. This effect, which is extremely weak compared to electromagnetic forces, becomes significant in the presence of massive rotating bodies like neutron stars or black holes.
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The Einstein Field Equations are a set of ten interrelated differential equations in Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity that describe how matter and energy in the universe influence the curvature of spacetime. These equations form the core of general relativity, allowing for the prediction of gravitational phenomena such as black holes, gravitational waves, and the expansion of the universe.
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Gyroscope precession is the phenomenon where the axis of a spinning gyroscope moves perpendicular to the axis of an applied torque, resulting in a change in the orientation of the rotational axis. This behavior is a consequence of the conservation of angular momentum and is influenced by factors such as the gyroscope's angular velocity and the magnitude of the applied force.
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The geodetic effect, also known as geodetic precession, refers to the precession of a gyroscope's axis due to spacetime curvature around a massive body, as predicted by Einstein's theory of General Relativity. This effect has been experimentally confirmed by missions such as Gravity Probe B, providing crucial evidence for the curvature of spacetime caused by Earth's mass.
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Gravity Probe B was a NASA mission designed to test two unverified predictions of Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity: the geodetic effect and frame-dragging. By precisely measuring the orientation of gyroscopes in orbit around Earth, the experiment confirmed these relativistic effects with unprecedented accuracy, enhancing our understanding of spacetime and gravitational fields.
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Rotating black holes, also known as Kerr black holes, are a type of black hole that possess angular momentum, causing the surrounding spacetime to be dragged around with it in a phenomenon known as frame-dragging. This rotation gives rise to an ergosphere, a region outside the event horizon where objects cannot remain in place, and affects the black hole's accretion disk and jet formation.
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Kerr ellipticity refers to the distortion of a black hole's event horizon from a perfect sphere to an oblate spheroid due to the black hole's rotation. This phenomenon is a direct consequence of the Kerr metric, which describes the geometry of spacetime around a rotating black hole, highlighting the intricate relationship between mass, rotation, and spacetime curvature.
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