Derive tidal force upon star (approximation: divide star in 2)

Click For Summary
SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on deriving the tidal force acting on a spherical, homogeneous star with radius R orbiting a black hole at a distance much greater than R (r_p >> R). The participant calculated the forces on both the nearest and farthest hemispheres of the star, leading to expressions for the tidal force that were ultimately found to be inconsistent with expected physical behavior. The derived tidal force was calculated as ΔF = (3/2)(GM_oM)/(Rr_p), which does not align with the anticipated proportionality to R, indicating a miscalculation in the integration process or assumptions about the geometry involved.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of gravitational forces and tidal effects
  • Familiarity with calculus, particularly integration techniques
  • Knowledge of spherical coordinates and mass distribution
  • Basic principles of general relativity and black hole physics
NEXT STEPS
  • Review the derivation of tidal forces in astrophysical contexts
  • Study gravitational interactions in spherical mass distributions
  • Learn about the implications of the Schwarzschild radius in black hole physics
  • Explore advanced integration techniques for non-uniform mass distributions
USEFUL FOR

Astronomy students, astrophysicists, and anyone studying gravitational effects in celestial mechanics will benefit from this discussion.

tumconn
Messages
3
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement


Spherical,homogeneous star with radius R orbiting black hole at distance ## r_p >>R ## .Derive the tidal force acting upon the star by dividing the star into two equal parts and making the necessary approximations.

Homework Equations


The tidal force equation of ## a \propto \frac{ R }{ {r_p}^3} ## is not a given.

The Attempt at a Solution


I calculated the force acting on the nearest and farthest hemisphere from the black hole.
Nearest: ##dF_1= \frac{G M_o dm}{{(r_p-R+r)}^2} ## where ## M_o ## is the mass of the black hole and ## dm= \rho \pi r^2 dr ## the mass of a disk with thickness dr . By integrating from 0 to R I got ## F_1= \frac{3GM_o M(2r_p-R)}{4r_p R^2} ##.
For the farthest hemisphere ## dF_2=\frac{G M_o dm}{{(r_p+R-r)}^2} \Longrightarrow F_2= \frac{3GM_o M(2r_p+R)}{4r_p R^2} ##
By substracting these,I get the tidal force ## \Delta F= F_1-F_2=\frac{3}{2} \frac{GM_oM}{R r_p} ## which is definitely not in agreement with the actual physics of the problem,since it should be proportional to R.
Can someone point me to where I went wrong?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
tumconn said:
dm=ρπr2dr the mass of a disk with thickness dr .
You seem to have defined r here as the distance from the point of the star nearest the black hole to the disk. The disk's radius will not be r.
 

Similar threads

Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 14 ·
Replies
14
Views
3K
Replies
6
Views
2K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
988
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
3K
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
4K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
18K
Replies
2
Views
3K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
4K