Gravity and Light (I)

Gedanken Experiment
Consider a light beam crossing an accelerating elevator
Two observers record the event: one at rest in an inertial frame,
the other at rest inside the accelerating non-inertial frame (elevator)
Inertial frame observer:
light travels in a straight line

Accelerated frame observer:

light travels along a curved
trajectory

S.Willocq

Physics 116 General Relativity

Gravity and Light (II)

Consequences of Equivalence Principle:
Light path is curved for
observer inside accelerating
frame
Following the principle of
equivalence, one has to
conclude that the same
observation would be made
if the box were at rest in
a gravitational field

A beam of light is bent by gravitational forces!

This is most surprising because particles of light (photons) are massless

S.Willocq

Physics 116 General Relativity

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Gravity and Light (III)

Animation:
Light path is curved for observer inside free falling frame

Light path is curved for observer inside accelerating rocket

S.Willocq

Physics 116 General Relativity

11

Gravity and Light (IV)

Bending of light path due to gravity
Effect is quite small:

a laser beam aimed at Earths horizon falls less

than 1 cm after traveling 6000 km

Einsteins prediction verified by observing small deviation

in the apparent position of stars during a solar eclipse
First confirmation in 1919 by Sir Eddington

1922 expedition
S.Willocq

Physics 116 General Relativity

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Gravity and Light (V)

Gravitational Lensing:

If light from a distant (and bright!) galaxy passes

nearby a large mass galaxy on its way to Earth, the intervening galaxy acts
as a lens, distorting the image
Example: Einstein Cross
Light from distant quasar (8 billion lyr away)
passes by a galaxy (400 million lyr away)
shown at the center of the image
The distant quasar produces four images

Einstein Cross

Image of the distant object depends on the alignment

btw the object, the intervening mass and Earth

S.Willocq

Physics 116 General Relativity

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