Abstract
We have found the following general relativity (GR) result: when a light ray is emitted and travels in a (nearly) uniform gravitational field g, its parabolic trajectory is that of one that would be traced by a massive Newtonian particle in a field three times greater, So, if a photon departs from a point on the Earth’s surface, with an initial horizontal direction, and goes over a distance its linear vertical deflection is The Newtonian result would be three times smaller. That is to say, the principle of equivalence is responsible for one-third of the vertical deflection. We think that this remarkable difference deserves research into the possibility of a GR test based on the vertical fall of terrestrial light.
- Received 14 July 2003
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.69.027101
©2004 American Physical Society