Publisher :National Council of Science Museums, Kolkata
Description :Double Gravity Well is a highly interesting exhibit, demonstrating the movement of a ball of mass 'm' simultaneously under the attractive forces of two centers of gravitation. When attempts to simulate the exact space-time curvature of such a force field by trial and error method failed, we resorted to a mathematical modelling using 3-D analytical geometry and plotted the exact surface. We then devised a practical method of fabrication calculating the cross sections of the Surface at regular intervals. The solution of the equation of motion of the ball was worked out by solving the Euler–Lagrange Equation in elliptical coordinates. The solution shows unpredictable trajectories of the ball in the space-time curvature which is highly sensitive to initial conditions. We also extended the method in exploring fields with three or more gravity wells. The exhibit demonstrates some important phenomena in classical mechanics, classical electrodynamics, molecular physics and planetary physics and in some other fields.
Description :Includes bibliographical references.
Source :National Council of Science Museums
Type :Article
Received From :National Council of Science Museums
DC Field
Value
dc.contributor.author
Sanyal, Indranil
dc.date.accessioned
2017-06-15T05:48:23Z
dc.date.available
2017-06-15T05:48:23Z
dc.description
Includes bibliographical references.
dc.date.issued
2010-07
dc.description.abstract
Double Gravity Well is a highly interesting exhibit, demonstrating the movement of a ball of mass 'm' simultaneously under the attractive forces of two centers of gravitation. When attempts to simulate the exact space-time curvature of such a force field by trial and error method failed, we resorted to a mathematical modelling using 3-D analytical geometry and plotted the exact surface. We then devised a practical method of fabrication calculating the cross sections of the Surface at regular intervals. The solution of the equation of motion of the ball was worked out by solving the Euler–Lagrange Equation in elliptical coordinates. The solution shows unpredictable trajectories of the ball in the space-time curvature which is highly sensitive to initial conditions. We also extended the method in exploring fields with three or more gravity wells. The exhibit demonstrates some important phenomena in classical mechanics, classical electrodynamics, molecular physics and planetary physics and in some other fields.
Government of India
