Since objects like suns spin, can we use that to determine the density & tension of space?

Question

A spinning object should set up vibrations in the fabric of space- time, those vibrations could be detected and tell us the density of the material they move through and the tension applied to that material. In turn this may allow for communication over intersteller distances if such a thing is possible.

Answer 1

It sounds like you are describing frame-dragging, a prediction of General Relativity, band also confusing it with gravitational radiation produced by, for instance, two rapidly orbiting massive objects.

Gravity Probe B was designed to measure frame dragging of the Earth on the local space-time. Data processing is occurring now with a release of results planned in April.

GPB: http://einstein.stanford.edu/

These guys claim to have "scooped" the GP-B results using long term orbital measurments of a few satellites http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=2004Natur.431..958C&db_key=AST&data_type=HTML&format=&high=44d7e6a74219607

but the robustness of their technique is hotly debated.
http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=2005NewA...10..603I&db_key=AST&data_type=HTML&format=&high=44d7e6a74220960

There is an operational gravity wave telescope in the form of LIGO. It has not detected anything, but is only sensitive to events of the scale of neutron star mergers within our own galaxy.

LIGO: http://www.ligo.caltech.edu/

There are plans afoot for a far more sensitive gravity wave detector that would use formation flying spacecraft called LISA.
LISA:http://lisa.nasa.gov/

That said, there have been indirect detections of gravitational radiation, specifically in the form of the decay rate of the orbit of a binary pulsar system, in which the rate at which these two bodies are spiralling into one another is what would be predicted due to orbital energy losses from the predicted gravitational radiation of that system. In English, these two objects are orbiting more and more tightly and it appears to be due to the loss of energy from making gravity waves.

This work won the Nobel Prize in 1993.

Nobel Prize Press Release containing a detailed description of gravitational waves: http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1993/press.html

Paper on research that won the prize (1982) http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=1982ApJ...253..908T&db_key=AST&data_type=HTML&format=


In summary, the phenomena you touch upon are being addressed and in some sense have been detected. As for sending communications via gravity waves, this is difficult since you need a VERY large mass as a transmitter and an extremely sensitive detector to pick up these feeble warpings of space-time. In addition, you are still constrained by the speed of light; gravity propogation through space-time is constrained just like everything else.

Larry Niven, a favorite SF author of mine, wrote a short story in about just such a communications device. It used a captured mini-black hold to make gravity waves. It won the 1975 Short Story Hugo Award.

"The Hole Man" http://www.ebookmall.com/ebook/89154-ebook.htm
Hugo Awards: http://www.worldcon.org/hy.html#75

Answer 2

Don't know what you and some of the writers of answers here have been smoking.

Space, being a vacuum, has no such attributes as "density," or "tension." So there is some cute pseudoscience in some of the answers, but nothing related to reality.

A number of institutions, including NASA, have investigated the question of the wave nature of gravity, but that is in no way related to spinning objects, magical imaginary forces, or talking six-foot invisible rabbits.

No "density" or "tension" in space. Sorry.

Answer 3

The effect is too small to be observed except in odd cases like retardation of pulsars. It is also uncontrollable in anything of significant size, so would not do as a communication vehicle.