Formation of orbits around black holes in the Schwarzschild space-time

Jonathan Javier Vega Pallo.1, ∗

1
School of Physical Sciences and Nanotechnology,
Yachay Tech University, 100119-Urcuqui, Ecuador
(Dated: July 26, 2021)
In the present work the movement of objects in the orbits formed by black holes with mass,
which remain static and do not rotate, is analyzed. For this, the equations that are a solution to
the Einstein field equations, known as the geodesic equations and the Schwarzschild metric, are
used. First, the equations of motions for the Schwarzschild metric are deduced, considering its
characteristics as that of a static gravitational field, whose symmetry is spherical and has no electric
charge. Second, a variety of examples of shapes that orbits can have within the Schwarzschild metric
are illustrated.

INTRODUCTION
1 8πG
Rµν − Rgµν = 4 Tµν + λgµν (1)
2 c
Where Rµν is the Ricci Tensor, determines the curvature
Until the beginning of the 19th century, within the of spacetime, R is the Ricci scalar: R = g µν Rµν , gµν is
world of physics, there was what is currently known as the metric tensor, λ is the cosmological constant, and
classical physics. In 1915 the German physicist Albert Tµν is the energy-momentum tensor.Geodesic equation
Einstein published his General Relativity Theory (GRT) is represented by:
where the concept of the force of gravity would cease to
make sense. The GRT proposes that the geometry of
d2 xµ dxν dxρ
  
space-time is affected by the presence of mass. Among + Γµνρ =0 (2)
the characteristics of GRT is the principle of covariance, dτ 2 dτ dτ
which dictates that all observers, whether inertial or
Here, Γ represents the Christoffel symbols and are given
not, experience the laws of physics in the same way. It
by:
is impossible to try to differentiate between acceleration
and gravity, due to the equivalence principle, which
indicates that there is an equality between the gravita- 1 µα
Γµρσ = g {∂σ gρα + ∂ρ gσα − ∂α gρσ } (3)
tional mass and the inertial mass. For example, a person 2
falling into a vacuum cannot know if he is at rest within
τ is the proper time, xµ is the quadrivector that describes
the gravitational field or if he is being accelerated by an
the position of a body. The proper time is proportional
external force.
to the arc length in spacetime:
In GRT the geometric curvature that space-time can
have due to the presence of mass and energy is studied. 2 1 2 2 2
ds2 = γc2 (dt) − (dr) − r2 (dθ) − r2 sin2 θ (dφ)


This curvature determines the path that a body must γ
follow within the gravitational field. In other words, (4)
a mass in spacetime tells it how it should deform,
and spacetime tells the mass how it should move. It We know so far that the metric characterizes the defor-
is important to mention that the mass, which moves mation of space-time. The Schwarzschild metric will be
within the field, will take the shortest path between 2 shown below, with which it is possible to describe the
points, this path is known as geodesic. For an orbit with orbits that particles follow around massive static black
elliptical geometry, the geodesic describes an ellipse in holes, with spherical symmetry and without electric
spacetime curved by the mass and energy of a certain charge. These black holes are known as Schwarzschild
star, but if this geometry were extended, we would see black holes.
the elliptical path as a straight line.[1]
There are 14 equations that describe the GRT, of which
10 are known as Einstein’s field equations and the
remaining 4 are known as geodetic equations. With SCHWARZSCHILD METRIC
these equations we can know the geometric properties
of space time in the presence of a mass or energy. With Karl Schwarzschild was a German physicist, math-
Einstein’s field equations the metric of space-time can ematician, and astronomer, a pioneer in introducing
be found, whose tensor notation is given by: non-Euclidean geometry to measure the universe.
 2

Within the field of relativity he provided exact solutions time:

to the field equations proposed by Einstein, providing
d2 t
   ν ρ
the first ideas about black holes. So, writing the variant 0 dx dx
c + Γνρ =0
interval with the solution found by Schwarzschild is: dτ 2 dτ dτ
 2   0 1
d t dx dx
c + 2Γ001 =0
dτ 2 dτ dτ
2 2 2 2 2
(ds) = γ (cdt) − γ −1 (dr) − r2 (dθ) − r2 sin2 θ (dφ)
 2      
d t 2 dγ dt dr
c + c =0
(5) dτ 2 2γ dr dτ dτ
 2    
d t 1 dγ dt
2
+ =0
2GM dτ γ dτ dτ (10)
, G = 6.6748 × 10−11 m3 kg −1 s2
 
where γ = 1 −  2    
rc2 d t dγ dt
is the gravitational constant, M is the mass of a γ 2
+ =0
dτ dτ dτ
body that generates the gravitational field, and  
2GM d dt
rs = represent the Schwarzschild radius. Taking γ =0
c2 dr dτ
2 2 2
(dΩ) = (dθ) + (sin θdφ) , and replacing this in [5], we dt
γ = cte
get: dτ
dt
γm0 c2 = cte = E
dτ
2 2 2 2 2
(ds) = γ (cdt) − γ −1 (dr) − r2 (dθ) − r2 (dΩ) (6) Where E is the total energy of the particle.Now, we will
find the component that describes the motion of the par-
The covariant and contravariant matrices are given by: ticle on the equatorial plane, it has a rotation in φ. For
this we consider an angular moment µ = 3:
 
d2 x3
 ν ρ
γ 0 0 0 3 dx dx
 0 −γ −1 0 0 + Γ νρ =0
gµν =

 (7) dτ 2 dτ dτ
0 0 −r2 0
d2 φ
  ν ρ
3 dx dx
0 0 0 −r2 sin2 θ + Γ νρ =0
dτ 2 dτ dτ
d2 φ
 1 3  2 3
3 dx dx 3 dx dx
+ 2Γ 13 + 2Γ 23 =0
dτ 2 dτ dτ dτ dT
(11)
γ −1 0
 
0 0
 0 −γ 0 0 As the particle is moving around the equatorial plane,
g µν

= −2
 (8) φ
 0 0 −r 0 
θ= :
−2 −2
0 0 0 −r sin θ 2
π
Γ223 = cot (θ) = cot =0
2
d2 φ 2 dr
  
dφ
+ =0
ORBITAL MOTION OF A PARTICLE IN THE dτ 2 r dτ dτ
d2 φ
   
SCHWARZSCHILD FIELD dr dφ
r2 2 + 2r =0
dτ dτ dτ
  (12)
We can use the geodesic equation for a particle moving d dφ
γ2 =0
in the Schwarzschild metric: dτ dτ
d0
⇒ r2 = cte;
dτ
dθ
dx2 xµ

dxν

dxρ
 r2 =J
+ Γµνρ =0 (9) dτ
dτ 2 dτ dτ
Here, J in the angular momentum per mass. Until now
we found E and J, starting from Schwarzschild metric
Taking µ = 0 to describe the coordinate related to we can get the path equation of the particle moving in
 3

π
the equatorial plane, θ = . The equation (16) describes the point r = 0 when the
2 particle falls radially towards the black hole. From equa-
π
⇒ sin (θ) = sin =1 tion (17) we can obtain the acceleration of the particle
2 along the path:
⇒ dθ = 0  2   2
3GM J 2
  
1 d r J GM
2 22
c2 (dτ ) = γc2 (dt) −
(dr) − r2 (dφ)
2 − − + =0 (18)
γ dτ 2 r3 c2 c4 r2
 2  2  2
2 2 dt 1 dr 2 dφ
d2 r J2 3GM J 2
 
c = γc − −r GM
dτ γ dτ dτ =− + − (19)
 2  2  2 dτ 2 r2 r3 c2 r4
dt m0 dr dφ
m0 c2 = γm0 c2 − − m0 r2 The equation (19) is one which we are going to use for the
dτ γ dτ dτ
(13) orbits around a black hole. We need to find the equation
for the gravitational time dilation, for this we consider
Considering the Energy: again the Schwarzschild metric:
 2  2
dt E E2 2 1 2 2 2
= = (ds) = γc2 (dt) −
(dr) − r2 (dφ)
dτ γm0 c2 γ 2 m20 c4 γ
2  2  2  2  2
E2 r2 dφ
 
m0 dr dφ dt 1 dr
⇒ m0 c2 = − − m 0 r 2
1=γ − 2 − 2 (20)
γm0 c2 γ dτ dτ dτ c γ dτ c dτ
2
 2 2
 2  2  2 2
 2
1 E m0 dr γm0 r dφ dt 1 1 dr r dφ
γm0 c2 = 2
− − = + 2 2 + 2
2 2m0 c 2 dτ 2 dτ dτ γ c γ dτ c γ dτ
 
1 2GM 1
1− m0 c2 = γm0 c2 (14) s
2 rc2 2 
dt

α γα

dr
2
r3

dφ
2
2
 2 2
 2 = + 2 +
E m0 dr γm0 r dφ dτ α−β (α − β) dτ α−β dτ
= − −
2m0 c2 2 dτ 2 dτ (21)
 2  2
1 dr 1 dφ GM m0
⇒ m0 + γm0 r2 − =T In the equation (21) α = rc2 and β = 2GM . This equa-
2 dτ 2 dτ r tion represent the time variation respect to proper time
 2 
1 E in some point in the space. Finally, we need to calculate
T ≡ − m0 c2 = cte
2 m 0 c2 the angular momentum of the body around the black
hole. This J is the following:
This is the path equation, where T is the kinetic total
energy. Now, deriving this respect to τ :


2 GM 1 − e2 a
J = (22)
rs 3 + e2
 2  2 !  
d 1 dr 1 2 dφ GM m0 dT 1−
m0 + γm0 r − = 2a 1 − e2
dτ 2 dτ 2 dτ r dτ
dT In this equation, the body is considered to follow an el-
=0 liptical path. Using the Schwarzschild metric, another
dτ
  2   2    equation focused on the advance of perihelion in the case
dr d r 1 dγ 2 dφ dr dφ
+ r + γr of elliptical orbits can be derived. For this we will then
dτ dτ 2 2 dτ dτ dφ dτ
  2    have:
dφ d ∅ GM dr
+γ 2 r2 + 2 =0 6πGM
dτ dτ 2 r dτ ε= (23)
a (1 − e2 ) c2
(15)
The following shows the simulations of the orbits formed
Taking the fist derived of γ and the second derived of φ,
around a black hole that contain the advance of the per-
we get two possible solutions:
  ihelion in the numerical solution of the equations shown
dr before:
=0 (16)
dτ

d2 r

GM 2 dφ
 2  2
dφ EXAMPLES OF ORBITAL MOTIONS IN THE
1 SCHWARZSCHILD SPACE-TIME
+ 2 2r + γr
dτ 2 r c dτ dτ
   (17)
dφ 2J GM Consider the binary system of super massive black
+γr2 − 3 + 2 =0
dr r r holes known as OJ 287. This system is located 3.5 billion

light years from Earth. It is estimated that the mass of
the largest of them amounts to about 18,000 million solar
masses, while that of the second would barely reach 150
million. [3]
FIG. 1: Simulation of an elliptical orbit followed by bodies
attracted to a black hole in the binary system OJ 287
.
Other examples or orbits in the Schwarzchild
space-time
FIG. 2: Orbital path of a particle being attracted to a black
hole
. circularly, so it has to be attracted to the inside of the
4
FIG. 3: Example of an elliptical orbit
.
FIG. 4: Example of a circular orbit
.
CONCLUSION
In this paper the equations of motion of a massive
body around a Schwarzschild black hole were derived.
With the help of a code in Mathematica it was possible
to obtain different graphs that show few of the different
types of behaviors that a particle can have when it trav-
els around a black hole. It was possible to observe how
are the circular trajectories that a particle can have in
the binary system OJ 287.Also, in figure 2 it can be seen
how the particle that orbits around the black hole does
not have enough energy to be able to orbit elliptically or
black hole, tracing a path in the shape of a spiral.
 5

REFERENCES B., Byrd, G. G. (1988). OJ 287-Binary pair of supermas-

sive black holes. The Astrophysical Journal, 325, 628-
[1] Zamora Ramos, R. Geodésicas en la métrica de 634.
Schwarzschild y Kerr. Tratamiento numérico. [5] Kruskal, M. D. (1960). Maximal extension of
[2] Ohanian, H. C., Ruffini, R. (2013). Gravitation and Schwarzschild metric. Physical review, 119(5), 1743.
spacetime. Cambridge University Press.
[3] Valtonen, M. J., Lehto, H. J., Nilsson, K., Heidt, J.,
Takalo, L. O., Sillanpää, A., ... Dogru, S. (2008). A
massive binary black-hole system in OJ 287 and a test of ∗
Electronic address: jonathan.vega@yachaytech.edu.ec
general relativity. Nature, 452(7189), 851-853.
[4] Sillanpaa, A., Haarala, S., Valtonen, M. J., Sundelius,