New theory seeks to unite Einstein's gravity with quantum mechanics

Re:New theory seeks to unite Einstein's gravity with quantum... by aport on Saturday December 30, 2023 @11:07AM (#38816271)

Question for any physicists out there. If the theory can be tested with just a 1 kg mass on Earth, could the fluctuation in mass of GPS satellites also be detectable from their timing data?

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Re:New theory seeks to unite Einstein's gravity with quantum... by eigenket on Saturday December 30, 2023 @11:30AM (#38816470)

I'm a physicist but not an expert in this field, but my guess would be the answer a comprehensive "no".

The way satellites orbit is incredibly well described by Newtonian mechanics and there the impact of their mass on the shape/timing of the orbit is by changing the center of mass of the combined satellite-earth system. That is you only get measurable effects if the fluctuation in the mass are big enough compared to the mass of the earth.

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