A Note on Frame Dragging

Abstract

The measurement of spin effects in general relativity has recently taken centre stage with the successfully launched Gravity Probe B experiment coming toward an end, coupled with recently reported measurements using laser ranging. Many accounts of these experiments have been in terms of frame-dragging. We point out that this terminology has given rise to much confusion and that a better description is in terms of spin-orbit and spin-spin effects. In particular, we point out that the de Sitter precession (which has been mesured to a high accuracy) is also a frame-dragging effect and provides an accurate benchmark measurement of spin-orbit effects which GPB needs to emulate.