How do I calculate the gravitational red shift for a white dwarf star?

In summary, the conversation discusses the process of a star becoming a white dwarf after exhausting its nuclear fuel. It mentions the mass of the sun, the radius of the Earth, and Newton's gravitational constant. The conversation also mentions the "gravitational red shift" for light leaving the surface of a star, and the attempts made to calculate it for a white dwarf. The final answer is 0.000279, but the method used to arrive at this answer is still unknown.
  • #1
roam
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Homework Statement



After a star like the Sun has exhausted most of the hydrogen in its core it expands and cools to form a red giant. Eventually, when it has exhausted all its nuclear fuel, it sheds its outer layers and contracts and becomes a white dwarf of similar size to the Earth as shown below. Note that the mass of the sun is 2 × 1030 kg, the radius of the Earth is 6,380 km and Newton's gravitational constant G is 6.67 × 10–11 Nm2 kg–2.

Light leaving the surface of a star of mass M and radius R is stretched in wavelength (i.e. "gravitationally red-shifted") by an amount Δλ/λ = GM/(Rc2) where c is the speed of light.

Calculate the gravitational red shift for light leaving the surface of the white dwarf


The Attempt at a Solution



I tried substituting the values into the formula Δλ/λ = GM/(Rc2) but that didn't produce the right answer...

Then I tried using the "scape speed" equation is given by

[tex]v_{esc}=\sqrt{\frac{2GM}{R}}[/tex]

Where G is the gravitational constant. M is the mass of the white dwarf and R is its radius converted to meters.

But this didn't work either. The right answer has to be 0.000279. Can anyone explain to me how the got this answer? I have an exam tomorrow...

Thanks in advance
 
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  • #2
Any help guys?
 

1. What is gravitational red shift?

Gravitational red shift is a phenomenon in which the wavelength of light is stretched or shifted towards the red end of the spectrum when it is emitted from an object in a strong gravitational field.

2. How does gravitational red shift occur?

Gravitational red shift occurs due to the effects of gravity on light. As light travels away from a massive object, it must overcome the gravitational pull of that object. This causes the light to lose energy and its wavelength to become longer, resulting in a shift towards the red end of the spectrum.

3. What are some examples of objects that exhibit gravitational red shift?

Some examples of objects that exhibit gravitational red shift include stars, galaxies, and black holes. It is also observed in the light emitted from the surface of the Earth as it is affected by the Earth's gravitational field.

4. How is gravitational red shift different from Doppler red shift?

Gravitational red shift is caused by the effects of gravity on light, while Doppler red shift is caused by the relative motion between an observer and a light source. Gravitational red shift is a result of the space-time curvature, while Doppler red shift is a result of the stretching of space due to the relative motion between objects.

5. What is the significance of gravitational red shift?

Gravitational red shift is an important phenomenon in understanding the effects of gravity on light and in studying objects with strong gravitational fields. It also has implications in the study of the expanding universe and the theory of general relativity.

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