-The effect was confirmed again during a 1999 eclipse:
http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlin ... ug99_1.htm
The authors of that report come up with a non gravity explanation for the effect:
I think that this could be tested, perhaps by keeping some type of gravimeter at a controlled constant pressure, or in a vacuum?An eclipse-effect on a Foucault pendulum can then be explained as air drag modulation caused by the atmospheric pressure modulations due to the moon's shadow.
Some more conventional (no unusual physics) explanations:
http://home.t01.itscom.net/allais/black ... /tvanf.pdf
http://home.t01.itscom.net/allais/black ... ishnan.pdf
http://home.t01.itscom.net/allais/black ... ymbeke.pdf
-However this report, raises the same questions again, concluding that the issue is still unresolved:
http://arxiv.org/ftp/gr-qc/papers/0408/0408023.pdf
also, the results of a 2004 eclipse experiment indicate that the effect was detected in and area where the eclipse was not even visible:Although, despite all proposed conventional explanations fail to explain the
observations either qualitatively or quantitatively, it is still possible that the reported
anomalies will turn out to be due to a combination of some of these effects and
instrumental errors. And, of course, there may be yet unidentified conventional causes
which play a role. The judgement of some of the experimental results is hampered by
the lack of a statistical analysis and/or data of sufficient length. Nevertheless, there exist
some strong data which cannot be easily explained away.
Therefore, further experiments during a few solar eclipses are justified.
highlight added
http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:Gwy ... clnk&gl=us :
andThese effects appeared even in this equatorial zone (Borneo) in which the solar eclipse was not itself visible. This suggests that during a solar eclipse gravitational perturbations can be detected all over the Earth's surface. We recommend that, during future eclipses, simultaneous experiments should be conducted at different widely-spaced locations.
highlight added
The Allais effect does seems to be real, ie a pendulum's movement is altered during an eclipse. This could have some important theoretical implications relevant to the EU if it is shown to actually be measuring a fluctuation in G, and is not the result of an unforseen, but more mundane influence (such as the changes in atmospheric pressure, thermal instabilities, and so on) or instrumental and measurement errors.The shocking conclusion is that either the well-known formula for the period of oscillation of a pendulum is invalid during an eclipse, or that unknown aspects of the gravitational force are manifested when planetary bodies are in alignment with the observer.
Perhaps there is an electrical explanation with out a variation in gravity?
How does the EU explain this effect?
Is it even a real phenomenon or just a mistake of instrumentation or measurement?
Is the jury still out on this one?
Any thoughts or comments?
nick c