Come on, it can't just slow down, stop and fall back like a good ol' stone ! That would upend special relativity's apple cart. Just how would the light ray change ? The extreme situation would be when the massive star is a black hole.
2006-09-17 19:47:07 · 3 answers · asked by Problem Child 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Well, let's start with a definition.
In optics, a ray is an idealized narrow beam of light.
Therefore, since a "ray" is narrow, and thus cannot be "beamed out radially." your question is inconsistent.
2006-09-17 19:56:21 · answer #1 · answered by Jim T 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If the star is sufficiently massive that it is a black hole, then yes, the photons will slow up (as seen from some reference frame other than one where the photons can in fact be measured), stop, and back up. If you don't have that much mass, you can get a gravitational red shift as the photon works its way out of the gravity well (loses momentum to the gravitational field, loses energy).
2006-09-17 20:09:30 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
it either makes it or it doesnt, no going part way and falling back, that one just wouldnt start out to begin with.
2006-09-17 19:55:33 · answer #3 · answered by a tao 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋