GR - time dialation at center of a planet

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Gravitational force is zero at a planet's center, but gravitational potential energy (GPE) reaches a minimum, affecting time dilation. A clock at the center runs slower compared to one at the surface due to differences in gravitational potential, not force. Objects between the surface and center would freefall toward the center without external forces. Light experiences blueshift when moving toward the center and redshift when moving away, similar to conditions above the surface. Time dilation is determined by gravitational potential rather than gravitational force.
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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.?
 
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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.?

Gravitational potential minimal -> clock rate minimal

Here is a visualization of the complete Schwarzschild metric (interior + exterior combined):

http://www.adamtoons.de/physics/gravitation.swf
 
Last edited:
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).

Light traveling toward the center would blueshift, and light traveling away from the center would redshift, just like it would above the surface. That's what determines gravitational time dilation, not the amount of gravitational "force" acting on the clock.
 
Thanks for the responses.
 
MOVING CLOCKS In this section, we show that clocks moving at high speeds run slowly. We construct a clock, called a light clock, using a stick of proper lenght ##L_0##, and two mirrors. The two mirrors face each other, and a pulse of light bounces back and forth betweem them. Each time the light pulse strikes one of the mirrors, say the lower mirror, the clock is said to tick. Between successive ticks the light pulse travels a distance ##2L_0## in the proper reference of frame of the clock...

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