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I think i came across this before. Does the size of an object's gravitational field contribute to its gravitational field?
pervect said:The short answer is yes - the long answer involves a lot of cautions about what , if anything, the term "gravitational field" actually means.
-Job- said:So this is just an interpretation of the non-linearity of the left-hand side, and not like a static object's gravitational field grows over time due to this, right?
Yes, according to Einstein's theory of general relativity, a gravitational field does contribute to itself. This means that the presence of matter and energy in a region of space not only creates a gravitational field, but also affects the curvature of space-time, which in turn affects the gravitational field.
The contribution of a gravitational field to itself affects the motion of objects by causing them to follow the curved space-time around massive objects. This is what we observe as the force of gravity.
Yes, the contribution of a gravitational field to itself can be measured through various experiments, such as the measurement of the deflection of light near massive objects or the precise measurement of the orbits of planets around the sun.
No, the contribution of a gravitational field to itself is not the same as self-gravitation. Self-gravitation refers to the force of gravity between different parts of a single object, while the contribution of a gravitational field to itself refers to the effect of the field on its own curvature.
Yes, understanding the contribution of a gravitational field to itself is important for accurately predicting the motion of objects in space, such as satellites and spacecraft. It also plays a crucial role in our understanding of the universe and its evolution.