Journal article

Determining the difference between local acceleration and local gravity: applications of the equivalence principle to relativistic trajectories

Abstract:: We show by direct calculation that the common equivalence principle explanation for why gravity must deflect light is quantitatively incorrect by a factor of three in Schwarzschild geometry. It is, therefore, possible, at least as a matter of principle, to tell the difference between local acceleration and a true gravitational field by measuring the local deflection of light. We calculate as well the deflection of test particles of arbitrary energy and construct a leading-order coordinate transformation from Schwarzschild to local inertial coordinates, which shows explicitly how the effects of spatial curvature manifest locally for relativistic trajectories of both finite and vanishing rest mass particles.

Publication status:: Published

Peer review status:: Peer reviewed

Actions

Email

Email this record

Send the bibliographic details of this record to your email address.

Your Email
Please enter the email address that the record information will be sent to.

-
Your message (optional)
Please add any additional information to be included within the email.
Cite

Cite this record

APA Style

Balbus, S. A. (2024). Determining the difference between local acceleration and local gravity: applications of the equivalence principle to relativistic trajectories. American Journal of Physics, 92(6), 444–449.

MLA Style

Balbus, S. A. “Determining the Difference between Local Acceleration and Local Gravity: Applications of the Equivalence Principle to Relativistic Trajectories.” American Journal of Physics, vol. 92, no. 6, American Association of Physics Teachers, 2024, pp. 444–49.

Chicago Style

Balbus, SA. 2024. “Determining the Difference between Local Acceleration and Local Gravity: Applications of the Equivalence Principle to Relativistic Trajectories.” American Journal of Physics 92 (6): 444–49.
Share
Print

Access Document

Files:: Balbus_2024_Determining_the_difference.pdf

(Preview, Version of record, pdf, 707.1KB, Terms of use)

Publisher copy:: 10.1119/5.0162082

Authors

+ Balbus, SA More by this author

Institution:: University of Oxford
Division:: MPLS
Department:: Physics
Sub department:: Astrophysics
Oxford college:: New College
Role:: Author
ORCID:: 0000-0002-0934-1501

+ Royal Society More from this funder

Grant:: WM120068

+ Science and Technology Facilities Council More from this funder

Grant:: ST/N000919/1; ST/S000488/1; ST/S001409/1

Publisher:: American Association of Physics Teachers
Journal:: American Journal of Physics More from this journal
Volume:: 92
Issue:: 6
Pages:: 444-449
Publication date:: 2024-06-01
Acceptance date:: 2024-02-28
DOI:: 10.1119/5.0162082
EISSN:: 1943-2909
ISSN:: 0002-9505

Language:: English
Keywords:: general relativity

gravitation

special relativity

Minkowski spacetime

Schwarzschild metric

integral calculus

coordinate transformations
Pubs id:: 2002029
Local pid:: pubs:2002029
Deposit date:: 2024-07-08

Terms of use

Copyright holder:: Steven A. Balbus
Copyright date:: 2024
Rights statement:: © 2024 Author(s). All article content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Licence:: CC Attribution (CC BY)

Views and Downloads

About views and downloads

If you are the owner of this record, you can report an update to it here: Report update to this record

TO TOP