Is a moving object with mass creating a "gravity shockwave" in the direction of motion?

Question

Since gravity is propagating (most probably) at the speed of light, can it create a "gravity shockwave" in front of a moving object with mass? Since all massive objects generate gravity, one could expect an effect similar to the increased air pressure in the front of a transonic aircraft. Could we say (in a sense) that the spacetime distortion caused by a moving object would be more "abrupt" in the direction of travel? And finally (this is a stretch) could the increased relativistic mass of a moving object,which precludes it from moving faster than light, be the result of such a "gravity shockwave", ?

Answer 1

The general consensus is that gravitational waves should exist.  But since it's hard to find massive objects moving close to the speed of light, it's extremely hard to detect.  See the reference for the indirect evidence.

It's not likely that 'drag' from distorting spacetime (like the bow wave of a boat) accounts for the increased mass.  It's not hard to keep an object moving near c.  It's just hard to accelerate it to that speed.  You would expect drag proportional to velocity, not acceleration.

Answer 2

i dont believe theres a shock wave  because if we was able to build an anti gravity machine, then we could go faster than we could imagine. gravity i think is already a kind of friction made up from  the effects of the sun in the enviroment its in. i.e maybe if we made a chemical reaction in space its self, mimicin the sun,mayb we could or would create a cravety feild around the experement? i feel that the fabric of space its self and the sun as the working parts to an anti gravity machine...

Answer 3

Most would disagree with the gravity shockwave because presumably it would require a medium or aether...

More likely that the frequency of the gravitational vibrations would shift as the mass sped up...and in the direction of travel...maybe akin to a light 'red-shift'....