Question about the GR gravitational redshift experiment

In summary: The receiver would receive fewer waves than the sender sent, due to the time dilation caused by the gravitational potential.In summary, the conversation discusses a test done in 1965 using the Mossbauer effect to measure the redshift experienced by photons climbing in the Earth's gravitational field. The test showed that the frequency of the photon does not actually change, but the local time rate changes between the bottom and top, making it appear as though the frequency has changed. The conversation also touches on the concept of time rate changes and the speed of light in different gravitational potentials.
  • #1
cang.ye1
2
0
GR predict that a photon climbing in the Earth's gravitational field will lose energy and will consequently be redshifted.

A test was done by Pound and Snider in 1965 using the Mossbauer effect
They measured the redshift experienced by a 14.4 Kev rays from the decay of Fe in climbing up a 20 m tower by determining the speed at which a detector at the top must be moved in order to maximize the detection rate i.e. the velocity blueshift balances the gravitational redshift.

My question is: how the frequency can be changed by gravitation?
Suppose sender was turned on for 1 month, it send N(very very huge number) waves, how many waves the receiver should receive? It's definitely N. No wave is lost or created in the 22.6 meter long road.
The sender keeps sending for 1 month, how long the receiver takes to receive the N waves? it's 1 month exactly.

Frequency v = N / T, how the receiver can get a different frequency? redshift or blueshift?

If gama ray device is not good for 1 month non-stop sending, we can use a short wave radio. It's the same but easier to think and understand.
 
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  • #2
cang.ye1 said:
GR predict that a photon climbing in the Earth's gravitational field will lose energy and will consequently be redshifted.

A test was done by Pound and Snider in 1965 using the Mossbauer effect
They measured the redshift experienced by a 14.4 Kev rays from the decay of Fe in climbing up a 20 m tower by determining the speed at which a detector at the top must be moved in order to maximize the detection rate i.e. the velocity blueshift balances the gravitational redshift.

My question is: how the frequency can be changed by gravitation?
Suppose sender was turned on for 1 month, it send N(very very huge number) waves, how many waves the receiver should receive? It's definitely N. No wave is lost or created in the 22.6 meter long road.
The sender keeps sending for 1 month, how long the receiver takes to receive the N waves? it's 1 month exactly.

Frequency v = N / T, how the receiver can get a different frequency? redshift or blueshift?

If gama ray device is not good for 1 month non-stop sending, we can use a short wave radio. It's the same but easier to think and understand.

The frequency of the photon isn't actually changed. The local time rate changes between the bottom and the top, so when a photon created at a different potential is compared with a similar resonance at the local location, it appears to have changed in comparison.
 
  • #3
Jonathan Scott said:
The frequency of the photon isn't actually changed. The local time rate changes between the bottom and the top, so when a photon created at a different potential is compared with a similar resonance at the local location, it appears to have changed in comparison.


I don't think the time rate is changed by gravitation.
There are many kinds of clocks, atomic, gravitational, mechanical, chemical, or even biological. Their time rate varies to bi-direction with gravitation change.

The test should proved light velocity change.
That is, from up to bottom, the light velocity gets higher.
Frequency v keep constant, wave length becomes longer, the speed get higher.
 
  • #4
cang.ye1 said:
I don't think the time rate is changed by gravitation.
There are many kinds of clocks, atomic, gravitational, mechanical, chemical, or even biological. Their time rate varies to bi-direction with gravitation change.

The test should proved light velocity change.
That is, from up to bottom, the light velocity gets higher.
Frequency v keep constant, wave length becomes longer, the speed get higher.

The relative time rate of a standard clock and any other local process is definitely changed by gravitational potential, which is what this experiment illustrates. However, this is not the only change.

If you try to create a flat coordinate system which covers both locations, then both the time rate and the size of a ruler vary with gravitational potential, and the coordinate speed of light varies with both, so it varies twice as much. In an isotropic coordinate system (one in which the scale factor between local and coordinate space is the same in all directions) the speed of light is approximately proportional to [itex]1 + 2\phi/c^2[/itex] where [itex]\phi[/itex] is the Newtonian potential, typically given by [itex]-\,Gm/rc^2[/itex], so light apparently speeds up as it rises within a potential.
 

Related to Question about the GR gravitational redshift experiment

1. What is the purpose of the GR gravitational redshift experiment?

The purpose of the GR gravitational redshift experiment is to test Einstein's theory of general relativity by measuring the gravitational redshift predicted by the theory.

2. How does the GR gravitational redshift experiment work?

The experiment involves using a light source and a detector to measure the change in the frequency of light as it travels from a higher gravitational potential to a lower gravitational potential. This change in frequency is known as the gravitational redshift.

3. What is the significance of the GR gravitational redshift experiment?

The GR gravitational redshift experiment is significant because it provides evidence for the validity of Einstein's theory of general relativity, which revolutionized our understanding of gravity and space-time.

4. How accurate are the results of the GR gravitational redshift experiment?

The results of the experiment have been confirmed to be accurate within a small margin of error, providing strong support for the predictions of general relativity.

5. Are there any potential applications of the GR gravitational redshift experiment?

The GR gravitational redshift experiment has potential applications in fields such as astrophysics, where the effects of gravity on light can provide insights into the properties of massive objects such as black holes.

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