Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-relativity-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2022/section-b/5/c/solution
Past exam of the relativity course of the University of Cambridge 2022 Section B 5 c Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-18
For , the effective potential vanishes at , rises to a maximum, and then falls to zero as . Its derivative is , so the only circular null geodesic hasThe second derivative there is , proving instability by the effective potential stability criterion. These circular orbits make up the photon sphere. If the formula is continued inside the horizon, the potential is negative and diverges to as . For purely radial light, , the potential is identically zero and there is no circular orbit.
Schwarzschild null radial potential and the static-observer escape cone inside the photon sphere
. Original dimensionless plots. The left panel shows the exterior potential and its maximum at ; the right panel shows the critical escape half-angle for . The horizon endpoint is a limit of exterior static observations. Details. New to topics? Read the docs here!
