Is There a Gauss' Law for Gravitation?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the existence of a Gauss' law for gravitation and its potential parallels in electromagnetism, particularly concerning magnetic fields and the concept of magnetic monopoles. Participants explore theoretical frameworks and seek rigorous proofs related to these laws.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant inquires about an equivalent Gauss' law for gravitation, suggesting a formula involving enclosed mass.
  • Another participant asserts that there is indeed a Gauss's law for gravity, referencing external material.
  • A participant questions whether magnetic fields have a similar law, expressing an intuitive belief that they do not due to the crossing of magnetic field lines, while seeking a rigorous proof.
  • In response, it is stated that there is a Gauss's law for magnetic fields as part of Maxwell's Equations, noting that magnetic field lines can only cross where the field is zero.
  • A participant expresses curiosity about the absence of magnetic monopoles, referencing a freshman physics textbook that suggests their theoretical existence.
  • Another participant counters that no magnetic monopoles have been discovered and discusses the implications of including magnetic charge in Maxwell's equations, mentioning inconsistencies with magnetic potential.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the existence of magnetic monopoles and the applicability of Gauss's law to both gravitation and magnetism. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the existence of magnetic monopoles and the implications of their potential existence.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes assumptions about the nature of magnetic fields and the theoretical frameworks of gravitation and electromagnetism, which may not be universally accepted or proven.

aniketp
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hello,
I was wondering if there is an equivalent gauss' law for gravitation like:
[tex]\Phi[/tex]=4[tex]\pi[/tex]G*Menclosed
any help would be appreciated. Thank you.
 
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Absolutely. See: "[URL law for gravity[/URL]
 
Last edited by a moderator:
thank you. but do magnetic fields have any such law? intuitively, i am inclined to say no,
because magnetic field lines can cross...but i would like a rigorous proof
 
aniketp said:
but do magnetic fields have any such law? intuitively, i am inclined to say no,
because magnetic field lines can cross...but i would like a rigorous proof
Yes, there's a Gauss's law for magnetic fields--it's one of Maxwell's Equations. Since there are no magnetic monopoles, it is rather simple: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gauss%27_law_for_magnetism" .

Magnetic field lines can cross only where the field is zero.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I'm curious as to why there isn't any magnetic monopoles. The freshman physics textbook I read for my intro physics course says that current theory (I think it was Serway) does predict the existence of magnetic monopoles.
 
No one seems to have found any magnetic monopoles. By including magnetic charge and magnetic current terms in Maxwell's equations you postulate magnetic charge. It brings some (anti-) symmetry to the equations, but this is inconsistence with the magnetic potential.
 

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