Would it ever be possible to make a device that could generate small,short gravitational waves? If so, it would then be possible to use artificial gravitation for space travel. Assuming that gravitational waves would be longitudinal -1st half of wave, slightly compressed space-time, to 2nd half, slightly rarified space-time. Were it possible, then with say 3 such devices focus these waves so that the rarified portions (sic) converge. Were that possible, you would then create a "pseudo-gravity" source. A vehicle could then "lift itself up by its own bootstraps." But could such a thing as a "gravitational wave generator" ever be built?
1 Answers
The short answer is no.
This link might help.
Gravitational Radiation is to gravity what light is to electromagnetism. It is produced when massive bodies accelerate. You can accelerate any body so as to produce such radiation, but due to the feeble strength of gravity, it is entirely undetectable except when produced by intense astrophysical sources such as supernovae, collisions of black holes, etc. These are quite far from us, typically, but they are so intense that they dwarf all possible laboratory sources of such radiation.
(bold mine)
Undetectable means that since it interacts so weakly it cannot be utilized in the way you imagine.
The article correctly points out that gravitation has not been consistently quantized but goes on to describe effective theories.
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