On measuring gravitomagnetism via spaceborne clocks: a gravitomagnetic clock effect.

The difference in the proper azimuthal periods of revolution of two standard clocks in direct and retrograde orbits about a central rotating mass is proportional to J/Mc², where J and M are, respectively, the proper angular momentum and the mass of the source. It is shown that this circumstance is due to a special gravitomagnetic temporal structure around a rotating mass. In connection with this gravitomagnetic clock effect, the authors explore the possibility of using spaceborne standard clocks for detecting the gravitomagnetic field of the Earth.