Mercury's Orbital Precession Anomaly

Click For Summary
SUMMARY

The perihelion of Mercury precesses by 5600 arc-seconds per century, exceeding the Newtonian prediction by 43 arc-seconds per century. Albert Einstein addressed this anomaly by introducing a second-order correction based on his general theory of relativity. The specific equation used for this calculation is derived from Hartle's analysis, which involves an integral that accounts for gravitational effects on Mercury's orbit. This correction is crucial for understanding the discrepancies between classical mechanics and relativistic predictions.

PREREQUISITES
  • General relativity principles
  • Orbital mechanics
  • Integral calculus
  • Understanding of gravitational effects on celestial bodies
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the derivation of the perihelion precession formula in general relativity
  • Explore Hartle's book on general relativity for detailed equations
  • Learn about the implications of relativistic corrections in astrophysics
  • Investigate other celestial anomalies explained by general relativity
USEFUL FOR

Astronomers, physicists, and students of general relativity seeking to understand the complexities of Mercury's orbit and the implications of relativistic physics on celestial mechanics.

Bjarne
Messages
344
Reaction score
0
The perihelion of Mercury precesses by 5600 arc-seconds per century, which is 43 arc-seconds per century more than Newtonian physics alone would predict

Albert Einstein proposed a second-order correction to Mercury's orbit, based on his general theory of relativity.

Which equation had Einstein used to calculate this?
 
Astronomy news on Phys.org
The equation one gets from the analysis is, I believe (lifted from Hartle):
\Delta \phi = 2 l \int_{r_1}^{r_2}\frac{dr}{r^2}\left(1-\frac{2GM}{r c^2}\right)^{-1/2}\left[c^2 e^2 \left(1-\frac{2GM}{r c^2}\right)^{-1} - \left(c^2 + \frac{l^2}{r^2}\right)\right]^{-1/2}
I don't have the book in front of me though so there might be small errors.
One can expand this to get a definite answer neglecting higher order corrections, but I don't have that equation in front of me.
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
3K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
5K
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
1K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
  • · Replies 20 ·
Replies
20
Views
3K
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
4K
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
7K
  • · Replies 16 ·
Replies
16
Views
12K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K