The Naked Scientists
  • Login
  • Register
  • Podcasts
      • The Naked Scientists
      • eLife
      • Naked Genetics
      • Naked Astronomy
      • In short
      • Naked Neuroscience
      • Ask! The Naked Scientists
      • Question of the Week
      • Archive
      • Video
      • SUBSCRIBE to our Podcasts
  • Articles
      • Science News
      • Features
      • Interviews
      • Answers to Science Questions
  • Get Naked
      • Donate
      • Do an Experiment
      • Science Forum
      • Ask a Question
  • About
      • Meet the team
      • Our Sponsors
      • Site Map
      • Contact us

User menu

  • Login
  • Register
  • Home
  • Help
  • Search
  • Tags
  • Recent Topics
  • Login
  • Register
  1. Naked Science Forum
  2. Non Life Sciences
  3. Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology
  4. Are light waves affected by gravity?
« previous next »
  • Print
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Are light waves affected by gravity?

  • 5 Replies
  • 5333 Views
  • 4 Tags

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline katieHaylor (OP)

  • Naked Scientist Producer
  • Global Moderator
  • Sr. Member
  • ********
  • 475
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Thanked: 2 times
  • Naked Science Forum Newbie
    • The Naked Scientists
Are light waves affected by gravity?
« on: 07/09/2017 16:34:26 »
Kooklan asks:

Are light waves affected by gravity? If so, does it change the wavelength or amplitude? How would light passing through a cluster be affected?

Can you help?
Logged
 



Offline Janus

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • 951
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Thanked: 268 times
Re: Are light waves affected by gravity?
« Reply #1 on: 07/09/2017 18:10:54 »
Both the path and wavelength of light can be affected by gravity.   If light passes by a massive object, its path will be deflected. This can produce an effect known as gravitational lensing.
Light traveling from one gravitational potential to another will have its wavelength affected.  Moving from high to low potential (towards a massive object) causes its wavelength to decrease and going the other way causes it to decrease.

Light passing through a cluster will likely have its path bent to some degree due to gravitational lensing.  As light enters the cluster from one side it will have its wavelength decreased and as it leaves it will increase.  What an observer will see for the light leaving the cluster depends on what his potential with respect to the cluster is relative to the source of the light.
« Last Edit: 07/09/2017 21:43:13 by chris »
Logged
 

Offline evan_au

  • Global Moderator
  • Naked Science Forum GOD!
  • ********
  • 11036
  • Activity:
    9.5%
  • Thanked: 1486 times
Re: Are light waves affected by gravity?
« Reply #2 on: 07/09/2017 20:13:31 »
Bending of light by a gravitational field is predicted by Newton's theory of gravity; Einstein's General Theory of Relativity predicted a greater deflection. Arthur Eddington measured binding of light by the Sun during an eclipse of the Sun in 1919, and found it was closer to Einstein's theory.
See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tests_of_general_relativity#Deflection_of_light_by_the_Sun

Astronomers use gravitational lensing to observe galaxies which would be too faint to see with unaided telescopes.

Astronomers have also used gravitational lensing to estimate the distribution of invisible "Dark Matter" surrounding visible galaxies.
See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravitational_lens

Change in the wavelength of light due to a difference in gravitational potential was also predicted by Einstein's General Theory of Relativity.
See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravitational_redshift
Logged
 

Offline chiralSPO

  • Global Moderator
  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ********
  • 3743
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Thanked: 531 times
Re: Are light waves affected by gravity?
« Reply #3 on: 08/09/2017 14:13:38 »
A new member added a few posts to this thread regarding some highly unorthodox views. I have split those posts off into a new thread, which I have placed in the "New Theories" section of the forum. Please use that new thread to continue discussion of those topics, and this thread to continue a discussion of generally accepted science. Thank you.
Logged
 

Offline F'dscience

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • 16
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Naked Science Forum Newbie
Re: Are light waves affected by gravity?
« Reply #4 on: 08/09/2017 16:39:55 »
First, you need to know what is light exactly.

Then, what is gravity exactly.

Then, how the 2 interact?
Logged
 



Offline chiralSPO

  • Global Moderator
  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ********
  • 3743
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Thanked: 531 times
Re: Are light waves affected by gravity?
« Reply #5 on: 08/09/2017 16:55:40 »
Quote from: fuckedscience on 08/09/2017 16:39:55
First, you need to know what is light exactly.

Then, what is gravity exactly.

Then, how the 2 interact?

We may never know "exactly" what anything is. But that doesn't mean we can't study how they interact and learn about that interaction.
Logged
 



  • Print
Pages: [1]   Go Up
« previous next »
Tags: light  / light waves  / gravity  / gravitational lensing 
 
There was an error while thanking
Thanking...
  • SMF 2.0.15 | SMF © 2017, Simple Machines
    Privacy Policy
    SMFAds for Free Forums
  • Naked Science Forum ©

Page created in 0.49 seconds with 40 queries.

  • Podcasts
  • Articles
  • Get Naked
  • About
  • Contact us
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Subscribe to newsletter
  • We love feedback

Follow us

cambridge_logo_footer.png

©The Naked Scientists® 2000–2017 | The Naked Scientists® and Naked Science® are registered trademarks created by Dr Chris Smith. Information presented on this website is the opinion of the individual contributors and does not reflect the general views of the administrators, editors, moderators, sponsors, Cambridge University or the public at large.