Gravitational Time Dilation Inside the Sun

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around calculating gravitational time dilation at a depth of 500,000 km inside the Sun. Participants explore theoretical frameworks, assumptions, and potential models for this calculation, focusing on the interior Schwarzschild metric and other approaches.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant asks how to calculate time dilation at a specific depth inside the Sun.
  • Another suggests using the appropriate spacetime metric, acknowledging their lack of knowledge on the topic.
  • Reference is made to the interior Schwarzschild metric, with a note that the assumption of constant density may not be ideal but could serve as a reasonable approximation.
  • Concerns are raised about the need for a density and pressure profile for more accurate calculations, suggesting numerical methods may be necessary.
  • One participant mentions that the weak field approximation might provide greater accuracy than the interior Schwarzschild metric when using a solar density model.
  • A participant shares their experience of performing a similar computation in a cosmology course, indicating that using the standard solar model surprised their teacher.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying opinions on the appropriateness of the interior Schwarzschild metric and the need for numerical methods, indicating that there is no consensus on the best approach for calculating time dilation in this context.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights limitations related to assumptions about density and pressure profiles, as well as the implications of treating the Sun as a non-rotating sphere.

Mikael17
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TL;DR
time dilatation inside the sun
How can time dilation, lets say 500000 km inside the sun be calculated ?
 
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Using the appropriate spacetime metric, which i must admit I don't know. Try searching the Internet for it.
 
Dale said:
One of the assumptions is constant density, so that probably isn’t the best assumption, but it should be a reasonable approximation given the resulting simplification
To do much better you'd need a density and pressure profile, and I would suspect you'd have to do it numerically. Especially if you stopped pretending it was a non-rotating sphere.
 
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Ibix said:
To do much better you'd need a density and pressure profile, and I would suspect you'd have to do it numerically. Especially if you stopped pretending it was a non-rotating sphere.
Yes. I agree that anything more exact than this would probably have to be numerical.
 
Last edited:
Here is a "recipe" from MTW's Gravitation:

1709399259324.png

1709399358881.png
 
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Is ##n## (23.28c and d) defined somewhere? Number density of particles?
 
Ibix said:
Is ##n## (23.28c and d) defined somewhere? Number density of particles?
Here:
1709400821186.png
 
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Ibix said:
To do much better you'd need a density and pressure profile, and I would suspect you'd have to do it numerically. Especially if you stopped pretending it was a non-rotating sphere.
Dale said:
This would be the interior Schwarzschild metric:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interior_Schwarzschild_metric

One of the assumptions is constant density, so that probably isn’t the best assumption, but it should be a reasonable approximation given the resulting simplification
Dale said:
Yes. I agree that anything more exact than this would probably have to be numerical.
The weak field approximation is going to be way more accurate than the interior Schwarzschild metric in this case. Input a solar model for the density and voila.

(I actually did this computation not too long ago for a cosmology course I took for undisclosed reasons. The teacher was somehow surprised when I used the standard solar model for the density profile 😉)
 
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  • #10
Orodruin said:
The weak field approximation is going to be way more accurate than the interior Schwarzschild metric in this case. Input a solar model for the density and voila.
I have to admit that it didn’t even occur to me!
 

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