Defense Intelligence Reference Document The Role of Superconductors In Gravity Research

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in electromagnetic theory. The simplified GR/Maxwell equations show that there is also
a Faraday-like law of induction that can generate Newtonian gravitational fields from
time-varying gravitomagnetic fields.
Modern attempts to confirm the existence of the gravitomagnetic field include highly
accurate laser ranging of the Earth-Moon distance (Reference 12), as well as the launch
of the Gravity Probe B satellite (Reference 13).
Historical Timeline
In order to aid future researchers, it is instructive to follow the general historical
development of the modern search for a link between electromagnetism, matter, and
gravity. This outline will include both theoretical and experimental aspects, expanding
and emphasizing experimental issues where appropriate. Because of space limitations,
not all of the many contributions to the field can be highlighted. The reader is
encouraged to consult the source references cited in this paper to obtain a fuller
appreciation of the amount of effort that has been expended in this area of physics.
Podkletnov and Nieminen (Reference 15) published what is considered the first possible
evidence for an experimental link between high-temperature liquid nitrogen (LN2)
superconductor effects and gravity, allegedly in the form of a gravity shield. Many
scientists since then have cast considerable doubt on their findings. Notwithstanding
these severe criticisms, since the publication of this paper, many other researchers
have considered that the experimental search for gravity-related forces could be taken
out of the realm of pure speculation and onto the laboratory bench. Podkletnov's
apparent experimental success has in turn prompted some theoreticians to consider
fresh approaches to investigating superconductors as a special form of condensed
matter capable of modifying and/or producing such forces.
It would be a breakthrough of the first order to discover a repeatable, laboratory-scale,
heretofore hidden connection between gravity, special forms of matter that can be
created in the laboratory, and electromagnetism that would possibly unlock the door to
new transportation systems, new energy sources, and a host of other earthly benefits,
not to mention professional accolades and untold wealth for the technology developers.
However, the rush to be the first to successfully find a repeatable and verifiable link
between superconductors and gravity has produced many casualties. Theoreticians
have made assumptions to force their theories to explain the putative experimental
results. Most experiments have been literally thrown together with little thought paid to
the myriad traps and pitfalls that litter the minefield of experimental physics in this
uncharted territory. This is primarily due to the expectation that the sought-after forces
will be extremely tiny and hard to distinguish from prosaic influences.
The most prominent, albeit controversial theoretical work on creating laboratory-
detectable gravitomagnetic fields via high-temperature superconductors was initiated
by Li and Torr (Reference 16-18). Their work expanded on earlier work by DeWitt
(Reference 19) and Ross (Reference 20), who considered modifications to the London
equations, which relate supercurrent (that is, Cooper pair) flow to electric and magnetic
fields in and around a superconductor, to include gravitomagnetic fields. Dewitt showed
that a time-varying gravitomagnetic field must arise owing to the presence of magnetic
flux quantization in superconductors. Dewitt's work was expanded on by Ross, who
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