{"title":"An elementary approach to simulating the perihelion of Mercury","authors":"Hollis Williams","doi":"10.1088/1361-6404/ad0188","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The relativistic correction to the precession of the perihelion of Mercury provided key evidence for the accuracy of general relativity as a theory of gravity. This example still has a large amount of potential to introduce students to the power of numerical simulations in theoretical physics, but existing approaches may be too detailed for many students and involve them beginning to learn a programming language at the same time. In this article, we take a simpler approach which uses as little coding as possible. The equation for the orbit of a planet is solved with and without relativistic corrections. It is shown that there is precession of the perihelion in the relativistic case, whereas in the Newtonian case, the orbit does not rotate about the origin. Quantitative information is extracted on the precession of the perihelion of Mercury and shown to match with observations.","PeriodicalId":50480,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Physics","volume":"80 9","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6000,"publicationDate":"2023-10-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"European Journal of Physics","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6404/ad0188","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"教育学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"EDUCATION, SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Abstract The relativistic correction to the precession of the perihelion of Mercury provided key evidence for the accuracy of general relativity as a theory of gravity. This example still has a large amount of potential to introduce students to the power of numerical simulations in theoretical physics, but existing approaches may be too detailed for many students and involve them beginning to learn a programming language at the same time. In this article, we take a simpler approach which uses as little coding as possible. The equation for the orbit of a planet is solved with and without relativistic corrections. It is shown that there is precession of the perihelion in the relativistic case, whereas in the Newtonian case, the orbit does not rotate about the origin. Quantitative information is extracted on the precession of the perihelion of Mercury and shown to match with observations.
期刊介绍：
European Journal of Physics is a journal of the European Physical Society and its primary mission is to assist in maintaining and improving the standard of taught physics in universities and other institutes of higher education.
Authors submitting articles must indicate the usefulness of their material to physics education and make clear the level of readership (undergraduate or graduate) for which the article is intended. Submissions that omit this information or which, in the publisher''s opinion, do not contribute to the above mission will not be considered for publication.
To this end, we welcome articles that provide original insights and aim to enhance learning in one or more areas of physics. They should normally include at least one of the following:
Explanations of how contemporary research can inform the understanding of physics at university level: for example, a survey of a research field at a level accessible to students, explaining how it illustrates some general principles.
Original insights into the derivation of results. These should be of some general interest, consisting of more than corrections to textbooks.
Descriptions of novel laboratory exercises illustrating new techniques of general interest. Those based on relatively inexpensive equipment are especially welcome.
Articles of a scholarly or reflective nature that are aimed to be of interest to, and at a level appropriate for, physics students or recent graduates.
Descriptions of successful and original student projects, experimental, theoretical or computational.
Discussions of the history, philosophy and epistemology of physics, at a level accessible to physics students and teachers.
Reports of new developments in physics curricula and the techniques for teaching physics.
Physics Education Research reports: articles that provide original experimental and/or theoretical research contributions that directly relate to the teaching and learning of university-level physics.
京公网安备 11010802042870号
京ICP备2023020795号-1
分享
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：
扫码关注我们
