<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=2 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>[Rahul]: What exactly is the local gravity field that is the preferred frame of reference in LR?<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>
It is the same as the concepts variously described as "space-time medium", "elysum", "light-carrying medium", "aether", "gravitational potential field", and a few others. Generically, it is an optical medium whose density increases near source masses in proportion to 1/r.
<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote><font size=2 face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>Is it the path followed by an uncharged test particle (only affected by gravity)?<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote></font id=quote><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size=2 id=quote>
No, the "field" does not contribute to ordinary gravitational force or 3-space acceleration. But it is responsible for bending the path of light rays by refraction, and for the other special effects introduced with GR. -|Tom|-
