Abstract
IT is usual to analyse the behaviour of photons in gravitational fields as if they were point particles which travel along geodesics. But by taking into account the finite spatial extent of the photon I show that it could interact with the transverse gradient of the gravitational field to give a deflection additional to the well known gravitational deflection of General Relativity. I postulate that this deflection, even though it is extremely small, could be the basis for a much more important effect in which the photon can decay into three photons (or possibly (E. H. Derrick, personal communication) several photons with one or more gravitons). If such a mechanism is possible it would appear as a decrease in photon energy and could be of astrophysical importance in explaining many of the anomalous redshifts that have been observed1,2.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adam, M. G., Mon. Not. R. astr Soc., 119, 460 (1959).
Burbidge, G. R., Nature, 246, 17 (1973).
Moller, C., The Theory of Relativity (Clarendon, Oxford 1955).
Harwit, M., Lovelace, R. V. E., Dennison, B., Jauncey, D. L., and Broderick, J., Nature 249, 230 (1974).
Havas, P., Am. J. Phys., 34, 753 (1966).
Evans, J. W. in Physics of the Solar Corona (edit. by Macris, C. J.), 8 (Reidel, Dordrecht, 1971).
Billings, D. E., A Guide to the Solar Corona (Academic, New York and London, 1966).
Athay, R. G. in: Physics of the Solar Corona (edit. by Macris, C. J.), 36 (Reidel, Dordrecht, 1971).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
CRAWFORD, D. Interaction of a photon with a gravitational field. Nature 254, 313–314 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1038/254313a0
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/254313a0
This article is cited by
-
Photon decay in curved space-time
Nature (1979)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
