Global InformationEdward Fomalont information
Edward Fomalont (born May 14, 1940) is an American scientist working at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. He specializes in radio galaxies, X-ray binary systems, astrometry, and general relativity. He has published more than 330 papers in peer-reviewed journals and proceedings of scientific conferences.[1]
In 1975, Fomalont and Richard Sramek made a first radio-interferometric occultation experiment to test the theory of general relativity by measuring the bending of microwave radiation in the gravitational field of the Sun.[2] Fomalont and colleagues made the most precise VLBI test of general relativity in 2005 that had reached precision of few parts in 10,000.[3]
In 2002, Fomalont and Sergei Kopeikin claimed to have measured the speed of gravity in the dedicated experiment[4][5] by observing the tangential component in the gravitational bending of light of a quasar caused by the orbital motion of Jupiter with respect to the barycenter of the solar system.[6] This claim was disputed[7] but vigorously defended by Kopeikin and Fomalont in a number of subsequent publications.[8][9][10]
Fomalont is an active participant in many international radio interferometric projects including the VLBI Space Observatory Programme and Square Kilometre Array.
- ^ "SAO/NASA Astrophysics Data System".
- ^ Gilbert, Harry; Diana Gilbert Smith (1997). Gravity, the glue of the universe: history and activities. Libraries Unlimited. p. 98. ISBN 978-1-56308-442-3.
- ^ Fomalont, Edward; Kopeikin, Sergei; Lanyi, Gabor; Benson, John (2009). "Progress in Measurements of the Gravitational Bending of Radio Waves Using the VLBA". The Astrophysical Journal. 699 (2): 1395–1402. arXiv:0904.3992. Bibcode:2009ApJ...699.1395F. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/699/2/1395. S2CID 4506243.
- ^ Kopeikin, Sergei (2001). "Testing the Relativistic Effect of the Propagation of Gravity by Very Long Baseline Interferometry". The Astrophysical Journal. 556 (1): L1–L5. arXiv:gr-qc/0105060. Bibcode:2001ApJ...556L...1K. doi:10.1086/322872. S2CID 2121856.
- ^ Fomalont, Edward; Kopeikin, Sergei (2003). "The Measurement of the Light Deflection from Jupiter: Experimental Results". The Astrophysical Journal. 598 (1): 704–711. arXiv:astro-ph/0302294. Bibcode:2003ApJ...598..704F. doi:10.1086/378785. S2CID 14002701.
- ^ "Einstein proved right on gravity". BBC News. January 8, 2003. Retrieved April 17, 2010.
- ^ "Berkeley Lab Physicist Challenges Speed of Gravity Claim". Space Daily. June 22, 2003. Retrieved April 13, 2010.
- ^ "MU Physicist Defends Einstein's Theory And Speed Of Gravity Measurement". Space Daily. October 4, 2007. Retrieved April 17, 2010.
- ^ Kopeikin, Sergei; Fomalont, Edward (2007). "Gravimagnetism, causality, and aberration of gravity in the gravitational light-ray deflection experiments". General Relativity and Gravitation. 39 (10): 1583–1624. arXiv:gr-qc/0510077. Bibcode:2007GReGr..39.1583K. doi:10.1007/s10714-007-0483-6. S2CID 15412146.
- ^ Kopeikin, Sergei; Fomalont, Edward (2006). "Aberration and the Fundamental Speed of Gravity in the Jovian Deflection Experiment". Foundations of Physics. 36 (8): 1244–1285. arXiv:astro-ph/0311063. Bibcode:2006FoPh...36.1244K. doi:10.1007/s10701-006-9059-7. S2CID 53514468.