Motion of the relativistic center of mass of the two-body system in the environment

Abstract

The motion equations for a system of two bodies moving in a medium are derived in the Cartesian coordinate system in the Newtonian theory. The coordinate system is barycentric, that is, the center of mass of the two-body system is immobile. Using the Einstein – Infeld approximation procedure, the gravitational field created by the “two bodies – medium” system was found from the Einstein field equations, and then the equations of motion of the bodies in this field were obtained.

It is shown that in the post-Newtonian approximation of the general theory of relativity, the center of mass of two bodies moving in a gas – dust rarefied medium of constant density, determined by analogy with the Newtonian center of mass, is displaced along the cycloid, although in the Newtonian approximation it is stationary, i.e. the movement along the cycloid occurs with respect to the barycentric Newtonian fixed reference frame. Numerical estimates are given for the magnitude of this displacement. Given a popular value of the medium density ρ = 10–21 g·cm–3 its order can reach 106 km per one rotation of two bodies around their center of mass. In the case of the equality of masses of the bodies, their relativistic center of mass, like their Newtonian center of mass, is immobile.

It has been hypothesized that for any elliptical orbits of two bodies and an inhomogeneous distribution of the gas – dust medium the qualitative picture of motion of the relativistic center of mass of the two bodies will not change.