DERIVATION OF WEBER'S POTENTIAL FROM THE EQUATIONS OF A GEODESIC IN A SCHWARZSCHILD FIELD
Abstract
Prior to the present day general acceptance of Einstein's general theory of relativity as a reasonable basis for explaining the advance in the perihelion of Mercury there were many attempts to explain this apparent anomaly on the basis of velocity dependent potentials. Prominent among these tried was Weber's electrodynamic potential V is similar to 1/r (1 + v squared/c squar d). That such potentials gave better results than the bare Newtonian potential is not fortuitous. In fact, Weber's potential is derivable from th equations of a geodesic in a Schwarzschild field. This is accomplished by reducing the set of equations for the geodesic to one equation in r and interpreting the equation as an e pression of Newton's second law, F equals ma. From the terms identified as comprising F, Weber's potential is readily obtained. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1961
- Accession Number
- AD0261386
Entities
People
- A.l. Harvey
Organizations
- New York University Tandon School of Engineering