The flyby anomaly and the effect of a topological torsion current

• Determines the general condition of equilibrium of a rotating gravitational and/or electromagnetic system.
• New dynamical equation of motion with an unforseen topological torsion current.
• The topological torsion current explains the anomalous acceleration detected in spacecrafts.
• It may be the missing link between linear and angular motions.

A new variational technique determines the general condition of equilibrium of a rotating gravitational or electromagnetic system (or both) and provides a modified dynamical equation of motion from where it emerges a so-far unforseen topological torsion current (TTC) (Pinheiro, 2013) [63]. We suggest that the TTC may explain, in a simple and direct way, the anomalous acceleration detected in spacecrafts during close planetary flybys. In addition, we theorize that TTC may represent a novel relationship between linear momentum and angular motion through the agency of a vector potential.