Lense–Thirring precession
In general relativity, Lense–Thirring precession or the Lense–Thirring effect (Austrian German: [ˈlɛnsə ˈtɪrɪŋ]; named after Josef Lense and Hans Thirring) is a relativistic correction to the precession of a gyroscope near a large rotating mass such as the Earth. It is a gravitomagnetic frame-dragging effect. It is a prediction of general relativity consisting of secular precessions of the longitude of the ascending node and the argument of pericenter of a test particle freely orbiting a central spinning mass endowed with angular momentum .
General relativity |
---|
|
The difference between de Sitter precession and the Lense–Thirring effect is that the de Sitter effect is due simply to the presence of a central mass, whereas the Lense–Thirring effect is due to the rotation of the central mass. The total precession is calculated by combining the de Sitter precession with the Lense–Thirring precession.
According to a 2007 historical analysis by Herbert Pfister, the effect should be renamed the Einstein–Thirring–Lense effect.