On the Gravitational Two-Body System and an Infinite Set of Laplace-Runge-Lenz Vectors

The current approach of a system of two bodies that interact through a gravitational force goes beyond the familiar expositions [1-3] and derives some interesting features and laws that are overlooked. A new expression for the angular momentum of a system in terms of the angular momenta of its parts is deduced. It is shown that the characteristics of the relative motion depend on the system’s total mass, whereas the characteristics of the individual motions depend on the masses of the two bodies. The reduced energy and angular momentum densities are constants of motion that do not depend on the distribution of the total mass between the two bodies;whereas the energy may vary in absolute value from an infinitesimal to a maximum value which occurs when the two bodies are of equal masses. In correspondence with infinite possible ways to describe the absolute rotational positioning of a two body system, an infinite set of Laplace-Runge-Lenz vectors (LRL) are constructed, all fixing a unique orientation of the orbit relative to the fixed stars. The common expression of LRV vector is an approximation of the actual one. The conditions for nested and intersecting individual orbits of the two bodies are specified. As far as we know, and apart from the law of periods, the laws of equivalent orbits concerning their associated periods, areal velocities, angular velocities, velocities, energies, as well as, the law of total angular momentum, were never considered before.

Hodographs of the Gravitational Two-Body System and Discrepancies between Newtonian Laws of Equivalent Kepler Orbits and General Relativity

We show first that an orbit, which is naturally characterized by its eccentricity and semi-latus rectum, can equally be characterized by other sets of parameters, and proceed to determine mass-independent characterizations. The latter is employed to obtain the laws of equivalent orbits, which by definition have the same eccentricity and orbit’s parameter [1]. These laws relate the values of the same physical observables on two equivalent orbits to the corresponding total mass;they include the laws of velocity, angular velocity, radial velocity, areal velocity, acceleration, period, energy and angular momentum. Regardless of the share of the two bodies of a fixed total mass, the same relative orbit occurs for the same initial conditions. Moreover, the same orbit can be traced by different total masses but with different relative velocities. The concept of a gravitational field generated by a set of masses is shown to be meaningful only when the center of mass is not changed by the test mass. The associated concept of the “nothing”, which is an infinitesimal mass that allows for the property just mentioned to be fulfilled, is introduced and its orbits are determined. The perturbation of the nothing orbits due to its replacement by a finite mass is determined. It is proved that such a replacement can have a qualitative effect resulting in a “phase transition” of an orbit from unbound to bound, and that the nothing’s circular orbits cannot be occupied by any material body. The Galileo law of free fall, on which the equivalence principle hinges and which is exact only for “nothing-like” falling objects, is revised to determine the duration of free fall of a body of an arbitrary mass. The wholeness of Newton’s laws and the associated concept of force as an interaction are highlighted, and some contradictions between the Newtonian laws of equivalent Kepler’s orbits and the general relativistic predictions are discussed. It is demonstrated that Newton’s law of gravitation is not an approximation of Einstein field Equations even in the case of a static weak field. However, both theories have a common limit corresponding to the case in which the alien concept of a field can be incorporated in the Newtonian theory. We also show that the relative velocity’s hodograph [2-4], the alternative Laplace-Runge-Lenz (LRL) vector derived by Hamilton [4-6], as well as an infinite set of LRL vectors, result all from one vector. The hodograph is a proper circular arc for hyperbolic motion, a circle less a point for parabolic motion, and a full circle for bound motion.

On Universal Space and Time

In earlier papers [1]-[4], it was shown that the consistency of the concept of time with motion requires time and distance to be of the same dimension, and thus measured by the same unit. The arising reduced system of units revealed that mass and energy were only different facets of one entity, and resulted in the well-known mass-energy equivalence formula as a natural consequence. The physical space can be identified with any inertial frame, but when it comes to comparing the results of measurements in two frames, or more, only one frame, say S, can be taken stationary and identified with the physical space, whereas all other inertial frames are moving relative to S. The equivalence of inertial frames as sites of one physical world implies that an intrinsic units system of length, time, mass and charge should be defined in terms of basic constituent physical blocks that have the same identity in all inertial frames. A basic feature of the universal space and time theory (UST) is that the same one time prevails in all inertial frames. The scaling transformations (STs) that relate the geometric distances in two frames, S (s) when chosen the stationary frame, are derived, and applied to explain the Doppler’s effect. The time distance between a moving object in S and an observer depends on its state of motion;and the Euclidean form of the STs is employed to explain arrival of some meta-stable at the earth’s surface despite its short lifetime. The quantitative predicted Doppler’s effect, which is in a striking agreement with the Ives-Stilwell experimental results, coincides with the relativistic prediction for longitudinal motion, but yet predicts a complete absence of a transverse effect at a right angle. In coming parts of this work it will be shown that the UST explains elaborately the drag effect, stellar aberration, and produces naturally the relativistic mechanics. The UST will also be completed through deriving the scaling transformations of the second type, by which the null results of Michelson and Morley experiment, Michelson and Gale experiment, and the Sagnac effect are explained. The current work and our intended future works in UST are new versions containing basic conceptions and visions that didn’t appear in earlier versions [1]-[6].

On Universal Mechanics and Superluminal Velocities

In this work we continue to set up the theory of universal space and time and derive the Euclidean form of the scaling transformations. Two types of velocities emerge, inertial and universal, with the former bound by the light velocity c whereas the latter is unbound, and may accommodate consistently particles’ velocities possibly exceeding c. The inertial velocity is the ratio of the simultaneous source’s displacement and the corresponding length of the light trip to the observer, whereas the universal velocity has its familiar meaning for motion in a synchronous inertial frame. Defining the momentum as the product of universal velocity and mass, and utilizing the already established mass-energy equivalence, the mechanics constructed on the bases of the new concepts, named universal mechanics, admits superluminal velocities but yet coincides with the relativistic mechanics in its basic dynamical components and their inter-relations. The possibility of superluminal velocities provides a straight forward explanation of the presence of the μ-meson particles abundantly at the sea level despite their generation at high altitude and their short lifetime.

Rays’ Change of Directions between Inertial Frames and Stellar Aberration

The path of a light’s signal is one and the same in the universal space regardless of the inertial frame by which it is identified. However, only one frame can be taken stationary and identified with the universal space while all other frames are moving. The direction of the path of a light’s pulse in a moving frame is determined in terms of its direction in the stationary one;the result is utilized to explain stellar aberration and show that the tilted direction in the moving frame depends only on its velocity. The aberration increment vector is introduced and employed to determine the apparent position of a star at each point of the earth orbit. Aberration in an earth satellite relative to the geocentric frame is presented. The direction’s change of a light beam between graded inertial frames promotes explaining aberration in an earth’s satellite in parallel to stellar aberration on earth.

Framing Noether’s Theorem

We discuss Noether’s theorem from a new perspective and show that the spatial continuous symmetries of a system are on one hand symmetries of the space and on the other hand are dictated by the system’s potential energy. The Noether’s charges arising from an infinitesimal motion, or a Killing vector field, of the space, are conserved if the Lie derivative of the potential energy by this vector field vanishes. The possible spatial symmetries of a mechanical system are listed according to the potential energy of the external forces.