Cavorite , gravity shield , and spindizzy machines are just some of the sci - fi result author have made up to sabotage the effect of graveness . But if a new theoretical study change state out to be right , then you ’ll just need sound .
According to the paper , which is yet to be compeer - reviewed and is available onarXiv , the statement that reasoned waves do not enrapture mass , just energy , is only correct at first approximation . The team claims that effectual wave do carry ( a tiny ) mass , and that ’s not all : the mass is negative .
While this call will definitely raise more than a few eyebrows , it is interesting to depend at their work for two reasons : The squad put onward not only a theoretical edifice but also a way to try their title , and their work is establish on a recent work from one of the authors .
In that workplace , published inPhysical Review B , the physicist noticed that sound waves partner off with gravity in superfluids , which is a finical state of matter in certain substance at almost absolute zero where the viscousness of the liquidness becomes zero so the liquid state flows without suffer kinetic vigour . Superfluids have weird event , such as the ability to mount up the walls of a container and , based on this enquiry , for sound to float in them .
In the Modern paper , the scientist have tried to extend the results from the quantum world of superfluids to unconstipated solid state and fluid . Interestingly , the disconfirming mass depends on the energy transported by the sound wave and on a coefficient that reckon only on the fabric through which the wave is distribute .
“ We showed that , contrary to usual belief , sound waves carry gravitational mass , in a standard Newtonian sense : they are affected by solemnity , but they also source graveness , ” the researchers write in the paper .
The researchers gauge that this effect is tiny , but they put forward that it could be notice in certain scenarios . nuclear clocks and quantum gravimeters are not quite there yet in terms of sensitivity , but they could soon be able-bodied to detect such small effect . The research worker also suggest that it could be potential to setup ultracold atoms in a direction to enhance this gist and find it . There is also the possibility that this negative mass can be seen in uttermost environments like inside neutron stars .
The newspaper is a beginning rather than an terminal , but it raise a possibleness that might have lots of interesting consequences .
[ H / T : ScienceAlert ]
