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New astronomical observations provided additional evidence that validates one of the premises of the general theory of relativity which dictates that all objects falling freely in a gravitational field are accelerated in an identical, according to an article published today in the journal Nature.

The theory proposed by Albert Einstein in 1915 predicts that the acceleration must be the same regardless of the gravitational field even of the falling bodies, even if they are objects as massive as they are. 39; a neutron star

(You can access the study from HERE )

— Principle of Equivalence of Gravity on the Moon – –

The principle that Einstein embodied in his theory had already been defended before by scientists like Galileo, in the sixteenth century, and various experiments have shown it in various environments.

In 1971, astronaut David Scott played in one of the most famous manifestations, when he dropped on the surface of the moon a hammer and a feather which reached the ground at the same time.

Demonstration of Astronaut David Scott

] — Triple Star System —

To test this prediction in a more extreme environment, a group of Dutch Institute of Radioastronomy (ASTRON) led by Anne Archibald studied the movement of a triple star system formed by a neutron star orbited by a white dwarf, which in turn maintains another dwarf white in orbit farther away.

Physicists have analyzed how the attraction of the star affects further to the internal binary system, which also has a strong gravitational field.

The authors of the study published in Nature have calculated that the difference between the accelerations detected in the na blanca and the neutron star is of the order of only 2.6 millionths which supports the principle of equivalence postulated by general relativity.

Archibald's observations improve those obtained to date in similar tests, which had reached a resolution of thousandths.

Explanation from the Netherlands Radioastronomy Institute

"If l & # 39; Neutron star and the inner white dwarf fall with different accelerations towards the white dwarf from the outside, one would perceive a slight deformation in the orbit of the inner system, "says physicist Clifford Will of the University of Florida, in a Nature article that accompanies the study of the Dutch group.

"Archibald and his colleagues provide an analysis based on six years of data collection for which there is no evidence proof of this distortion ", describes Will.

Source: EFE

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