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Homework answers / question archive / An observer at r = r1 in Schwarzchild geometry sends a light signal in the radial direction toward r = r2 where r2 > r1
An observer at r = r1 in Schwarzchild geometry sends a light signal in the radial direction toward r = r2 where r2 > r1.
(a) Determine the instantaneous coordinate velocity dr/dt of the signal.
(b) Suppose the signal is reflected at r = r2 and returns to r1. Determine how long, as measured in coordinate time t, it takes the signal to return.
(c) Determine how long it takes as measured by the clock of the observer at r1.
The line element is:
ds^2 = c^2(1-2m/r)dt^2 - (1-2m/r)^(-1)dr^2 - r^2 d theta^2 - r^2sin^2(theta)d phi^2
where m = MG/c^2
You know that in a flat space-time the trajectory of a photon is such that ds^2 = 0 on the trajectory (such a trajectory is called a null geodesic). This is also true in general relativity. It follows form the usual reasoning that you can always define a local "free falling" coordinate system in which the metric looks locally like that of special relativity. In that coordinate system ds^2 will be zero for two nearby points in the photon's trajectory, but because ds^2 is an invariant, it must be zero in the original coordinates too.
For a photon moving in the radial direction we then have:
0 = c^2(1-2m/r)dt^2 - (1-2m/r)^(-1)dr^2 --->
dr/dt = +/- c (1-2m/r)
For a photon moving from r1 to r2 we must choose the plus sign. We can write this as:
dt = 1/c dr/[1-2m/r] = 1/c rdr/[r-2m]
Integrating from r1 to r2 gives the coordinate time needed for the photon to go from r1 to r2
t_{1,2} = 1/c Integral from r1 to r2 of dr r/[r-2m] =
1/c Integral from r1 to r2 of dr (r-2m+2m)/[r-2m] =
1/c Integral from r1 to r2 of dr 1 + 2m/[r-2m] =
[r2 - r1]/c + 2m/c Log[(r2-2m)/(r1-2m)]
The total coordinate time needed for the photon to go from r1 to r2 and back to r1 is, of course:
Delta t = 2 t_{1,2}
If you consider the departure and arrival of the photon at position r1 as two events, then these two events are separated by a distance of zero and a coordinate time of Delta t. The space time interval between these two events is therefore:
Delta s^2 = c^2(1-2m/r)Delta t ^2
By the usual reasoning you identify Delta S ^2 as c^2 (Delta tau)^2 ,where Delta tau is the proper time that the clock measures. You then find that:
Delta tau = sqrt[1-2m/r1]Delta t