The discussion centers on gravitational time dilation within a planet of uniform density, emphasizing that gravitational force is zero at the center while gravitational potential energy (GPE) reaches a peak minimum. A clock located at the center of such a planet will run slower compared to a clock at the surface due to differences in gravitational potential, not force. The phenomenon of time dilation is illustrated through the complete Schwarzschild metric, highlighting that light experiences blueshift when moving toward the center and redshift when moving away.
PREREQUISITESPhysicists, students of general relativity, and anyone interested in the effects of gravity on time and light propagation will benefit from this discussion.
Jeff Reid said:The gravitational force is zero at the center of a planet, but the GPE is at a peak minimum (most negative). What happens to the time dilation factor inside the surface of a planet of uniform density versus at the surface of that planet.?
Jeff Reid said:The gravitational force is zero at the center of a planet, but the GPE is at a peak minimum (most negative). What happens to the time dilation factor inside the surface of a planet of uniform density versus at the surface of that planet.?
A clock at the center of a planet will run slow relative to a clock at the surface (neglecting rotational effects). Time dilation isn't caused by gravitational "force", it's the result of the difference in potential. Any object in between the surface and center of a planet would "freefall" toward the center in the absence of the forces acting on it (like the material resistance of the mass of the planet).Jeff Reid said:The gravitational force is zero at the center of a planet, but the GPE is at a peak minimum (most negative). What happens to the time dilation factor inside the surface of a planet of uniform density versus at the surface of that planet.?