Newtonian limit of Gravitational Klein-Gordon Equation

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the Newtonian limit of the Gravitational Klein-Gordon Equation, specifically exploring the relationship between the radial wave equation derived from the Schwarzschild exterior metric and the Schrödinger equation in a gravitational potential. Participants are examining the conditions under which the linear energy term can be recovered and how to transition from the gravitational Klein-Gordon framework to a non-relativistic limit.

Discussion Character

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

Main Points Raised

  • One participant attempts to derive a radial wave equation from the Schwarzschild metric and compares it to the Klein-Gordon equation, noting an inability to recover the linear energy term.
  • Another participant suggests a method involving the linear approximation of the metric tensor and the modification of Christoffel symbols to derive a form of the gravitational Klein-Gordon equation.
  • A different participant expresses a desire to recover the Schrödinger equation from the gravitational Klein-Gordon equation by applying specific limits and substitutions, questioning how to achieve this in the general relativistic context.
  • There is mention of substituting energy terms and conditions to relate the relativistic Klein-Gordon equation to the non-relativistic Schrödinger equation, but uncertainty remains about the appropriate conditions for the general relativistic case.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the methods and conditions necessary to connect the gravitational Klein-Gordon equation to the Schrödinger equation. The discussion remains unresolved, with no consensus on the correct approach or outcome.

Contextual Notes

Participants are working with various assumptions regarding the Schwarzschild metric and the linear approximation, which may affect the validity of their approaches. The discussion includes unresolved mathematical steps and dependencies on specific conditions for the energy terms.

FunkyDwarf
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Hey guys,

Was wondering if anyone has seen this done? Essentially I've tried plugging in the Schwarzschild exterior metric and getting a radial wave equation then taking a series expansion for small M (gravitating mass) and comparing that to the KG radial wave equation in a radial potential V(r) but i cannot seem to recover the linear energy term (grav KG equation seems to only provide E^2)

Any ideas/help would be...helpful!

Cheers
-G
 
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Nobody? :(
 
FunkyDwarf said:
Hey guys,

Was wondering if anyone has seen this done? Essentially I've tried plugging in the Schwarzschild exterior metric and getting a radial wave equation then taking a series expansion for small M (gravitating mass) and comparing that to the KG radial wave equation in a radial potential V(r) but i cannot seem to recover the linear energy term (grav KG equation seems to only provide E^2)

Any ideas/help would be...helpful!

Cheers
-G

Can you do all this here so we can get to know what actually the problem is? I know somehow what you're trying to say is that if we put all metric tensor appearing in the GKG equation equal to the Minkowski metric and modify the Christoffel symbols as in the linear approximation, we would get

[tex]-\square\phi+\frac{\phi}{\hbar^2}+\eta^{\mu\nu}\Gamma^{\alpha}_{\mu\nu}\partial_{\alpha}\phi=0,[/tex]

where the convention [tex]c=m=1[/tex] is used and in the linear approximation of a static field (e.g. Schwarzschild metric) we have

[tex]\eta^{\mu\nu}\Gamma^{\alpha}_{\mu\nu}=-\frac{1}{2}\eta^{i\alpha}(\partial_{i}g_{ii}+\partial_{i}g_{00}).[/tex]

(The i-indices are all summed over 1,2,3.)

Now introduce this in the main equation to get the desired form of a GKG equation in the linear approxi. Having substituted in these the components of the Schwarzschild metric, you can easily get the scalar potential [tex]\phi[/tex] by solving the reduced equation from which the linear energy term could be recovered.

AB
 
Last edited:
What i want to be able to do is take the radial wave equation generated by considering the gravitational KG equation in the exterior schwarzschild metric, take some limits, and recover the Schrödinger equation in potential V(r) = -GM/r.

I know that making the substitution
[tex] \varepsilon = E +m[/tex]
and forcing the condition
[tex] E^2=0[/tex]

you can recover the Schrödinger equation from the standard special relativistic KG equation, but I'm finding it hard to find a similar set of conditions to reduce the general relativistic case for rs=2GM to reduce it to the Schrödinger case described above.
 

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