RUS  ENG
Full version
JOURNALS // Uspekhi Fizicheskikh Nauk // Archive

UFN, 2003 Volume 173, Number 10, Pages 1131–1136 (Mi ufn2189)

This article is cited in 7 papers

METHODOLOGICAL NOTES

Critical velocities $c/\sqrt 3$ and $c/\sqrt 2$ in the general theory of relativity

S. I. Blinnikov, L. B. Okun', M. I. Vysotskii

Institute for Theoretical and Experimental Physics

Abstract: We consider a few thought experiments of radial motion of massive particles in the gravitational fields outside and inside various celestial bodies: Earth, Sun, black hole. All other interactions except gravity are disregarded. For the outside motion there exists a critical value of coordinate velocity $v_c=c/\sqrt 3$: particles with $v<v_c$ are accelerated by the field like Newtonian apples, and particles with $v>v_c$ are decelerated like photons. Particles moving inside a body with constant density have no critical velocity; they are always accelerated. We consider also the motion of a ball inside a tower, when it is thrown from the top (bottom) of the tower and after elastically bouncing at the bottom (top) comes back to the original point. The total time of flight is the same in these two cases if the initial proper velocity $v_0$ is equal to $c/\sqrt 2$.

PACS: 03.30.+p, 45.50.-j

Received: April 11, 2003
Revised: July 25, 2003

DOI: 10.3367/UFNr.0173.200310e.1131


 English version:
Physics–Uspekhi, 2003, 46:10, 1099–1103

Bibliographic databases:


© Steklov Math. Inst. of RAS, 2024