Is Gravitational Time Dilation Affected by Gravitational Potential?

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SUMMARY

Gravitational time dilation is influenced by gravitational potential rather than the gravitational field itself. The formula for time dilation, T_{g}=T_{f}*\sqrt{1-\frac{2GM}{rc^{2}}}, indicates that time experienced by an observer in a gravitational field varies based on the mass and radial distance from the mass. In scenarios where two planets have the same gravitational acceleration, differing radii can lead to different time dilation effects, as shown by the derived equation T_{g}=T_{f}\sqrt{1-k*r}. This confirms that gravitational potential, represented by the density and radius of the planets, plays a crucial role in time dilation outcomes.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of General Relativity (GR)
  • Familiarity with gravitational potential and gravitational fields
  • Knowledge of basic physics equations involving mass, density, and radius
  • Mathematical skills to manipulate equations and understand square roots
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the implications of gravitational potential on time dilation in General Relativity
  • Explore the differences between gravitational fields and gravitational potentials
  • Research the effects of varying densities on gravitational time dilation
  • Examine case studies of time dilation effects on different celestial bodies
USEFUL FOR

Physicists, students of General Relativity, and anyone interested in the effects of gravity on time perception will benefit from this discussion.

Brute Force
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Could somebody explain me the following:
According to GR time dilation due to gravitational field is expressed as:
T_{g}=T_{f}*\sqrt{1-\frac{2GM}{rc^{2}}}
where Tg is time with gravitation,
Tf is time somewhere without gravitation
G - gravitational constant
M - mass
r - radial coordinate of observer
and c - light speed.

Lets assume two explorers are working on two different planets with the same gravitation.
My understanding is that gravitation could be expressed as g=G\frac{M}{r^{2}}.
Mass M for spherical planet is equals to: M=\frac{4}{3}\pir^{3}\rho, where \rho is density.
If two gravitations are the same then:
g_{1}=g_{2} and \rho_{1}r_{1}=\rho_{2}r_{2} or \rhor=const
Getting back to the time dilation formula and replacing M with V*\rho:
T_{g}=T_{f}\sqrt{1-\frac{2G}{c^{2}}\frac{4}{3}\pi{r^{2}\rho}}
After replacing all constants with k (remember that \rhor is also a constant:
T_{g}=T_{f}\sqrt{1-k*r}

What a surprise: same gravitation, but different time dilation! (assuming planets radii are different)
Did I missed something?
Thanks.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Gravitational time dilation depends on gravitational potential rather than gravitational field (which is the gradient of the potential), so it is certainly possible to have equal time dilation in different fields, or different time dilations in the equal fields.
 

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