How Does a Black Hole Attract Light?

[Manu Vincent]

Hi all,
We know that the black hole is able to pull every thing that get near to it, even light because of its high gravitational force. But, we know that light is mass less. Then how will black hole attract light?

 

[Danger]

A gravitational source doesn't directly act upon the light. Rather, it curves the space-time that the light is traveling through. The light 'thinks' that it's still going in a straight line.

 

[angel 42]

I agree with Danger, but does it only curves space-time?

 

[MeJennifer]

I agree with Danger, but does it only curves space-time?

Gravitation = Spacetime curvature.

 

[Chris Hillman]

I agree with Danger, but does it only curves space-time?

Well, what else do you think a massive object should "curve", in addition to spacetime?

Don't confuse path curvature with sectional curvature. Path curvature is the magnitude of the acceleration vector of a curve, and has relativistic units of reciprocal length. The Riemann curvature tensor, which measures the curvature of spacetime, has components which are sectional curvatures, and they have relativistic units of reciprocal area (so do mass and energy density).

As Danger said, in gtr, in the geometric optics approximation, a laser pulse has a world line which is a null geodesic of the spacetime (a Lorentzian manifold), so its acceleration vector and thus its path curvature vanishes identically. This does not contradict the notion of "light bending", just implies that "light bending" means something a little different from what you might think at first, er, sight

 

[angel 42]

let's (curve) this subject a bit, does the black hole only could do the curve thing? and is it posibel to get ((some thing)) that would have the same properities that the blak hole has??

 

[angel 42]

just thinking loud

 

[Chris Hillman]

Acoustic and other analogs of black holes

let's (curve) this subject a bit, does the black hole only could do the curve thing? and is it posibel to get ((some thing)) that would have the same properities that the blak hole has??

A not terribly successful attempt to explain in nontechnical terms a currently popular idea in gravitation physics:
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Acoustic_metric&oldid=26629648
An excellent and authoritative technical survey:
http://relativity.livingreviews.org/Articles/lrr-2005-12/index.html

 

[cesiumfrog]

If you were going to take a Newtonian approximation (treating gravity as a force), I think it's fair to say you'd use relativistic mass (which is non-zero for light) rather than rest mass.

 

[prasannapakkiam]

LOOK AT ENCARTA'S BRILLIANT GR ANALOGY! It can easily explain this problem...

 

[Danger]

As Danger said, in gtr, in the geometric optics approximation, a laser pulse has a world line which is a null geodesic of the spacetime (a Lorentzian manifold), so its acceleration vector and thus its path curvature vanishes identically. This does not contradict the notion of "light bending", just implies that "light bending" means something a little different from what you might think at first, er, sight

So you're the one who's been screwing with my reputation.
You start with 'As Danger said', and proceed with an explanation that I can't begin to understand after reading it a dozen times. Now I know why I keep getting PM's from people who think that I know what I'm talking about. Stop that!