Can gravitational force be created artificially by spinning a flywheel?

Question

Check the following question:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070620083741AAVYZuK&r=w&pa=FZptHWf.BGRX3OFMiTZWVY3y4lnrZlZDFCmdIzUqGojJ1ZctlxkRZ9QUFvkTffgAcA1mBTPFp40muukNTw--&paid=answered#RZcsX2S8Vjcv9ccfz0VGGJTmyzS0qZbfHvcQ1jHuYj9ZdncEPbLZ

Can in theory one increase the relativistic mass of a flywheel by spinning it, thereby increasing its gravitational field?

To those referring to centripedal or centrifugal forces, let's just imagine that the flywheel is enclosed, so it's just a black box. Now, can you create gravitational pull with it, like artificial gravity in Star Trek? That's why the question is a relativisitc one.

Goring, one way for a starship to "produce gravity" is to bring along a lot of mass, which is impractical. Another is to bring in "relativistic mass" in the form of energy, which can be flywheel energy? Certainly it ought to be more compact, and can be installed before flight. Just throwing out ideas here, folks.

Uncle Al, interesting stuff, but none of them involve relativistic increase in mass of the spinning disk. What if, for example, instead of using a flywheel, I use a toy train on a rectangular track, and made the train go near the speed of light? Would the toy train, on the straights, exert gravitational force because of its increased relativistic mass?

eyeonthescreen, I agree that using an actual flywheel will be impractical for this, I wanted to hear the relativistic arguments, because there are other ways of doing this. Flywheels are just easy to visualize.

Answer 1

According to general relativity, kinetic energy contributes to gravity. [See source.] Thus, as more and more kinetic energy is built up in your spinning flywheel, I would think there would be more and more gravitational field and bending of space outside your black box.

But, from a strength of materials POV, I don't see this ever happening...at least not to a measurable degree.

Answer 2

The increasing spin of a fly wheel by applying power from an electric motor will cause the flywheel to gain momentum,til the power of the flywheel equals the power of the motor.Then steady state motion is reached.At that point rotational energy result. If the fly wheel was made to spin at extreme velocity given enough power to spin, it would experience mass loss caused by the energy radiation lost due to heat and friction.
The rotational energy experienced by the flywheel on a per unit distance basis depends as a function of it radius .
Basically its the rotational energy per Unit radius.

Answer 3

You can get acceleration (transverse Doppler shift) but not gravitation. A photon climbing out of a gravitational well measurably redshifts,

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/relativ/gratim.html
Harvard Tower experiment by Pound, Rebka, Snyder
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/nuclear/mossfe.html
measurement mechanism

A photon climbing of of an ultracentrifuge rim toward the hub is NOT redshifted. As soon as leaves the hub it is in fieldess free space.

http://www.answers.com/topic/hay-schild-controversy

Answer 4

YES you can. But only on the outer edges, as any spinning devise creates an center fugal force that acts on the outer edge.

Answer 5

yes
by spinning flywheel it creates a centripetal force

Answer 6

maybe!