Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2017/ii/paper-1/36d/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2017 ii Paper 1 36D Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-09-24 Updated 2026-10-05
Put . For the equatorial geodesic, the geodesic Lagrangian is , where dots denote derivatives with respect to the affine parameter. The cyclic coordinates give constants and . A third constant is the tangent norm , preserved by the geodesic equation and metric compatibility. For a timelike geodesic rescale the affine parameter to proper time so ; for a null geodesic .
Substitute , into the norm identity and multiply by . It gives the effective potential equationOutside the horizon , its derivative is . A nontrivial circular null geodesic requires , givingFor a circular timelike geodesic,At it , and its radius exceeds . If no finite circular timelike radius exists. Thus all finite circular null and timelike orbits in this five-dimensional exterior are radially unstable. The energy of a circular orbit is fixed by , not independently arbitrary.
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