Kepler's Law in Schwarzchild metric

In summary, the conversation discusses Kepler's Third Law for circular Schwarzschild orbits. The Lagrangian with certain variables and constant c is set, and the E-L equation for r is derived. The solution shows that d\phi / dt = GM/r, but there is confusion about why t represents proper time at infinity and r represents the radius of the circular orbit. The question also asks for help in showing that Kepler's Third Law holds.
  • #1
Fek
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Homework Statement



Show Kepler's Third Law holds for circular Schwarzschild orbits.

Homework Equations


The Attempt at a Solution



Setting [itex] r' = 0 , \theta' = 0 [/itex] and [itex] \theta = \pi / 2 [/itex] , where the derivatives are with respect to the variable [itex] \lambda [/itex] and setting c = 1 the Lagrangian is:

[itex] L = (1 - r_s / r) \dot t^2 - r^2\dot\phi^2 [/itex]

E-L equation for r:

$$\frac{r_s} {r^2} \dot t^2 - 2r \dot\phi^2 = 0$$

Therefore $$d\phi / dt = GM/r $$ , the solution.

However I'm struggling to understand why t here corresponds to the proper time at infinity, but r corresponds to the radius of the ciruclar orbit?
 
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  • #2
Also, once I have this solution, how do I show that Kepler's Third Law holds?Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 

Related to Kepler's Law in Schwarzchild metric

What are Kepler's Laws in Schwarzchild metric?

Kepler's Laws in Schwarzchild metric are a set of three laws that describe the motion of a test particle in the gravitational field of a non-rotating, spherically symmetric mass, such as a black hole. These laws were derived by Johannes Kepler in the early 17th century and later reformulated by Albert Einstein in the early 20th century using his theory of general relativity.

What is the first law of Kepler's Laws in Schwarzchild metric?

The first law states that the orbit of a test particle around a non-rotating, spherically symmetric mass is an ellipse with the mass at one of the foci. This law is the same as the first law of Kepler's classical laws of planetary motion.

What is the second law of Kepler's Laws in Schwarzchild metric?

The second law states that the line connecting the test particle to the center of the mass sweeps out equal areas in equal times. This means that the orbital speed of the test particle will vary as it moves closer to or further away from the mass, but the rate at which it sweeps out area will remain constant.

What is the third law of Kepler's Laws in Schwarzchild metric?

The third law states that the square of the orbital period of a test particle is directly proportional to the cube of the semi-major axis of its orbit. This means that the farther away a test particle is from the mass, the longer its orbital period will be.

How do Kepler's Laws in Schwarzchild metric differ from classical Kepler's laws?

Kepler's Laws in Schwarzchild metric take into account the effects of gravity on the motion of a test particle in the presence of a non-rotating, spherically symmetric mass. This means that they are more accurate and can be applied to more extreme scenarios, such as the motion of objects around black holes, compared to classical Kepler's laws which only apply to objects in a Newtonian gravitational field.

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