Re: FT: Vortex gravity gradient question

----- Original Message -----
From: "Oerjan Ohlson" <oerjan.ohlson@telia.com>
To: <gzg-l@csua.berkeley.edu>
Sent: Saturday, September 06, 2003 10:42 PM
Subject: Re: FT: Vortex gravity gradient question

> Imre Szabo wrote:
>
> >Does anyone out there have a simple equation (no PDE's or poorly
behaved
> >ODE's) to calculate the pull of a vortex (such as a Black Hole or
Neutron
> >Star) both towards it and around it?  Something in cylindrical or
> >spherical coordinates would be excellent.
>
> F = C * M * m / r^2

This is exactly the same formula as for you average sun, planet, or
moon.
Except that the mass of the Black Hole may be as big as you like ;-) In
fact, the mass of a Neutron Star or a small Black Hole is that of a
large
star. The point is that you can make your distance (r) much smaller than
for
a star.

In game terms, including gravity effects has been variously discussed in
the
archives and IIRC in More Thrust. Various mechanisms have been proposed,
ranging from simple to fairly complicated.

Greetings
Karl Heinz