Can gravitational waves cause energy motion in wires?

[DimaMazin]

If we use generator of gravitational waves instead of electric generator can we get electricity or another stream of energy in wires?

[ajb]

I am not sure how, but gravitational waves carry energy and so in principle one could extract useful energy from them. But as gravity is a very weak force I would not expect any gravitational wave power stations.

[geordief]

In fantasy land* could changes in a gravitational field conceivably be used in connection with quantum effects?

 

*being charitable in my direction

[kisai]

Those would have to be some pretty gosh-darn long and strong wires.

[Delta1212]

In fantasy land* could changes in a gravitational field conceivably be used in connection with quantum effects?

 

*being charitable in my direction

 

Used to do what?

[geordief]

 

Used to do what?

Christ I don't know. It was just a vague idea. If no one else can see any potential then I guess there is none.

 

I was actually "thinking" along the lines of what is referred to as quantum computing but without any expertise my contribution has no value.

[DimaMazin]

I am not sure how, but gravitational waves carry energy and so in principle one could extract useful energy from them. But as gravity is a very weak force I would not expect any gravitational wave power stations.

If the station is able to slowly move electrons in wires then can electricity be there?

(We don't need useful effect, we need scientific effect.)

[ajb]

If the station is able to slowly move electrons in wires then can electricity be there?

Yes... but as gravity is so weak I cannot imagine getting reasonable amounts of useful energy. Unless you really are in sci-fi land and put your power station close to a strong source, like a black hole binary system.

[DimaMazin]

Yes... but as gravity is so weak I cannot imagine getting reasonable amounts of useful energy. Unless you really are in sci-fi land and put your power station close to a strong source, like a black hole binary system.

Wires with electricity can attract and push away each other. Gravity can only attract. Can wires with gravitational electricity push away each other?

[BiotechFusion]

Gravitational waves can transfer energy to particles but the scale they would have to be for that to have any practical application is on the scale of multiple solar masses. Right now all the planets and the Sun are creating gravitational waves with their orbits and rotations and wobbles, but even at that scale, gravity is heavily weakened by distance.

[ajb]

Wires with electricity can attract and push away each other. Gravity can only attract. Can wires with gravitational electricity push away each other?

What is gravitational eletricity?

[BiotechFusion]

What is gravitational eletricity?

I think they mean that just as with a magnetic field, a gravitational wave could be strong enough to separate an electron from an atom, thus creating a free charge that can potentially move to another atom. Not very likely, but I guess I can't rule out the possibility at some insanely high energy interaction.

[ajb]

Not very likely, but I guess I can't rule out the possibility at some insanely high energy interaction.

Such an interaction is going to be highly suppressed due to the weak nature of gravity as compared with electromagnetism. I guess one could do some calculation using gravition-electron scattering to tree level (as an effective theory) and see what one gets. Tiny amplitudes I am sure.

[swansont]

Why would gravitational waves cause a current flow — why would the electrons and the wire they are in move relative to each other? Or why would this cause an ionization?

[ajb]

Or why would this cause an ionization?

I can imagine that a graviton could course ionisation of an atom... but this would be very rare.

[swansont]

I can imagine that a graviton could course ionisation of an atom... but this would be very rare.

 

 

Not sure I want to be around for an event where this could happen.

[ajb]

Not sure I want to be around for an event where this could happen.

I am not sure what estimates we have here, for sure this is a rare event.

 

Maybe this is not what DimaMazin means by 'gravitaional eletricity'.

 

 

EDIT: The graviton isonisation cross-section for hydrogen-like atoms is of the order Planck length squared [1]. (This was calculated earlier by Dyson and others)

 

References

[1] Stephen Boughn and Tony Rothman, Aspects of graviton detection: graviton emission and absorption by atomic hydrogen Classical and Quantum Gravity, Volume 23, Number 20, 2006

Edited April 29, 2016 by ajb

[DimaMazin]

Such an interaction is going to be highly suppressed due to the weak nature of gravity as compared with electromagnetism. I guess one could do some calculation using gravition-electron scattering to tree level (as an effective theory) and see what one gets. Tiny amplitudes I am sure.

We can add usual electricity to gravitational electricity for research of gravitational electricity.

[Strange]

We can add usual electricity to gravitational electricity for research of gravitational electricity.

 

What is "gravitational electricity"?

Do you mean things like hydroelectricity?

[DimaMazin]

 

What is "gravitational electricity"?

Do you mean things like hydroelectricity?

Electric potential is like gravitational potential. Water has gravitational potential but it is mechanically connected with electricity therefore "hydroelectricity" isn't scientific name.

[Strange]

Electric potential is like gravitational potential. Water has gravitational potential but it is mechanically connected with electricity therefore "hydroelectricity" isn't scientific name.

 

Hydroelectricity is a well-understood term.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroelectricity

 

But if that isn't what you mean then: What is "gravitational electricity"?

[DimaMazin]

 

Hydroelectricity is a well-understood term.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroelectricity

 

But if that isn't what you mean then: What is "gravitational electricity"?

Let's consider similarities :https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electricity

Electric charge - mass

Electric field - gravitational field(space-time)

Electric potential - gravitational potential

Electric current - moving of gravitational particles

Electromagnets - changing gravitational fields generate gravitational currents

[ajb]

You mean something like a flow of masses?

 

We see this with, for example, accretion disks.

 

You have to be careful making a direct comparison between EM and gravity, but some things do make sense. I am not sure if 'electricity' is really on of those. However, we do have the fact that accelerating masses are sources of gravitational radiation.