Torsional oscillations in a nonequatorial orbit in Lenzs-Thirring metric

Abstract

The authors investigate the forced oscillations of a torsional pendulum oriented in a definite way on a platform traveling in a “circular” nonequatorial orbit around a source of a Lenze-Thirring metric (in particular, around the earth). This general relativistic effect is associated with the inception in the platform reference frame of periodic inertial forces acting on the ends of the pendulum, with a period equal to the time of rotation of the platform in its own reference frame.