Francis Everitt
Encyclopedia
C. W. Francis Everitt is a US-based English physicist working on experimental testing of general relativity
. Everitt was educated at Imperial College London
and the University of Pennsylvania
in low-temperature physics. He is Professor
at the Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory
of Stanford University
and is also an Associate Member of the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
(KIPAC).
Everitt known most as Principal Investigator
of the Gravity Probe B
mission mainly aimed to test frame-dragging
at an expected accuracy of 1%. According to general relativity
, it is an effect induced by the rotation of the Earth
on orbiting gyroscopes. Everitt spent more than 40 years on such project and was awarded with the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal
. Unfortunately, latest developments of the data analysis of the GP-B mission points towards the inability of reaching the ambitious goal of a 1% accuracy in measuring frame-dragging
. Besides, it is hard to repeat the measurement for the scientific world to achieve the consensus. However, the technologies developed via GP-B program benefit experimental physical sciences in many ways.
of C.W.F. Everitt is 14, with a total number of citations (self-citations excluded) of 604.
General relativity
General relativity or the general theory of relativity is the geometric theory of gravitation published by Albert Einstein in 1916. It is the current description of gravitation in modern physics...
. Everitt was educated at Imperial College London
Imperial College London
Imperial College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom, specialising in science, engineering, business and medicine...
and the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
in low-temperature physics. He is Professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
at the Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory
Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory
The Hansen Experimental Physics Laboratory was founded in 1947 and is a facility at the Stanford University aiming to promote interdisciplinary enterprises across different branches of science....
of Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
and is also an Associate Member of the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology
The Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology is an independent laboratory of Stanford University, founded in 2003 by a gift by Fred Kavli and The Kavli Foundation. It is housed on the grounds of the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, as well as on the main Stanford campus...
(KIPAC).
Everitt known most as Principal Investigator
Principal investigator
A principal investigator is the lead scientist or engineer for a particular well-defined science project, such as a laboratory study or clinical trial....
of the Gravity Probe B
Gravity Probe B
Gravity Probe B is a satellite-based mission which launched on 20 April 2004 on a Delta II rocket. The spaceflight phase lasted until 2005; its aim was to measure spacetime curvature near Earth, and thereby the stress–energy tensor in and near Earth...
mission mainly aimed to test frame-dragging
Frame-dragging
Einstein's general theory of relativity predicts that non-static, stationary mass-energy distributions affect spacetime in a peculiar way giving rise to a phenomenon usually known as frame-dragging...
at an expected accuracy of 1%. According to general relativity
General relativity
General relativity or the general theory of relativity is the geometric theory of gravitation published by Albert Einstein in 1916. It is the current description of gravitation in modern physics...
, it is an effect induced by the rotation of the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
on orbiting gyroscopes. Everitt spent more than 40 years on such project and was awarded with the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal
NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal
The NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal is an award similar to the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, but awarded to non-government personnel. This is the highest honor NASA awards to anyone who was not a government employee when the service was performed....
. Unfortunately, latest developments of the data analysis of the GP-B mission points towards the inability of reaching the ambitious goal of a 1% accuracy in measuring frame-dragging
Frame-dragging
Einstein's general theory of relativity predicts that non-static, stationary mass-energy distributions affect spacetime in a peculiar way giving rise to a phenomenon usually known as frame-dragging...
. Besides, it is hard to repeat the measurement for the scientific world to achieve the consensus. However, the technologies developed via GP-B program benefit experimental physical sciences in many ways.
Bibliometric information
According to the NASA ADS database, the h-indexH-index
The h-index is an index that attempts to measure both the productivity and impact of the published work of a scientist or scholar. The index is based on the set of the scientist's most cited papers and the number of citations that they have received in other publications...
of C.W.F. Everitt is 14, with a total number of citations (self-citations excluded) of 604.