INERTIAL FRAME DRAGGING AND MACHS PRINCIPLE IN GENERAL-RELATIVITY

We define a new parameter 'cumulative drag index' for a particle in ci rcular orbit in a stationary, axisymmetric gravitational field and stu dy its behaviour for the two well known solutions of general relativit y, namely the Kerr spacetime and the Godel spacetime, wherein the iner tial frame dragging has an important role. As it shows similar behavio ur for both co- and counter-rotating particles, it may indeed be an in dication of the influence of the faraway universe on local physics and thus Machian.