Ray Optics, Fermat's Principle, and Applications to General Relativity (Lecture Notes in Physics Monographs, #61)

by Volker Perlick

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Book cover for Ray Optics, Fermat's Principle, and Applications to General Relativity

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All kind ofinformationfrom distant celestialbodies comestous intheform of radiation. Inmost the of electromagnetic cases thisradiation propagation be can as a reasonable in described, terms of This is approximation, rays. truenot inthe but also inthe radio only ofthe electro opticalrange range Forthis the of reason laws areoffundamental magneticspectrum. optics ray for importance and astronomy, astrophysics, cosmology. to According arethe of general relativity, light light likegeodesics a rays Lorentzianmetric whichthe is described. how by spacetimegeometry This, is true as as the under the ever, only long light are rays freelypropagating influence ofthe fieldwhich is coded in the only gravitational spacetime ge If a is in an medium ometry. light ray influenced, addition, by optical (e. g. , then it will not follow ofthe by a a plasma), light like geodesic spacetime metric. It is true that for radiation the electromagnetic traveling through universe the influence ofamedium on the ofthe and usually path on ray the is small. there are several cases inwhich this influ frequency However, ence is well in inthe radio For measurable, particular very range. example, the deflection ofradio inthe field oftheSun is consider gravitational rays influenced the Solarcorona.
currentand ably by Moreover, planned Doppler with microwaves in the Solar reach in the an experiments system accuracy 5 of 10 15 whichmakes it totakethe influence frequency Awlw necessary ofthe medium into account.
  • ISBN10 3662142856
  • ISBN13 9783662142851
  • Publish Date 15 January 2014 (first published 18 February 2000)
  • Publish Status Withdrawn
  • Out of Print 18 October 2014
  • Publish Country US
  • Imprint Springer
  • Format Paperback (US Trade)
  • Pages 236
  • Language English