Pierre007080 said:If a theoretical single photon followed a geodesic toward a large mass in space, I understand that the wavelength would shorten as it approached the mass. How would the energy be conserved within the photon, because the frequency must surely remain the same?
Pierre007080 said:If a theoretical single photon followed a geodesic toward a large mass in space, I understand that the wavelength would shorten as it approached the mass. How would the energy be conserved within the photon, because the frequency must surely remain the same?
Pierre007080 said:Hi Mentz 114,
Thanks for your response. I think I understand your answer about the chain of observers along the geodedic ... but is it allowed for the observer to be in a nearby spaceship observing (from a distance) the shortening wavelength and even a slowing of the speed of light?
The relationship between energy and wavelength for a photon in GR is described by the equation E = hc/λ, where E is the energy of the photon, h is Planck's constant, c is the speed of light, and λ is the wavelength of the photon. This relationship is known as the Planck-Einstein relation and it shows that as the wavelength of a photon increases, its energy decreases.
In classical mechanics, the energy of a particle is dependent on its velocity and mass, while in GR, the energy of a photon is solely determined by its frequency and Planck's constant. This means that the energy-wavelength relationship for a photon in GR is fundamentally different from classical mechanics and is based on the wave-particle duality of light.
According to GR, gravity is the curvature of spacetime caused by the presence of mass or energy. This means that in the presence of a massive object, the path of a photon will be curved, causing a change in its energy and wavelength. This effect, known as gravitational redshift, is a consequence of the energy-momentum conservation law in GR.
Yes, the energy-wavelength relationship for a photon in GR can be applied to all types of electromagnetic radiation, including visible light, radio waves, and X-rays. This is because all electromagnetic radiation behaves as both a wave and a particle, and therefore follows the same principles of quantum mechanics and GR.
The energy-wavelength relationship for a photon in GR is closely related to the concept of black holes. As a photon approaches the event horizon of a black hole, its energy and wavelength will be greatly affected due to the strong gravitational pull. At the event horizon, the wavelength of the photon will become infinitely long, and its energy will decrease to zero, making it impossible for the photon to escape the black hole's gravitational pull.