Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2014 iii Paper 50 2 e Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-06
The trace-free mass quadrupole moment is diagonal:The same constant factors multiply its third derivatives, giving . The quadrupole formula and the preceding infall result therefore giveFor infall from infinity, and . To find the emitted energy, integrate power over time, using :The total initial mass is , so the radiated fraction is . The Sun would emit that fraction of its rest energy inunder the stipulated constant luminosity. This is the head-on quadrupole radiation from equal masses prediction with the prescribed stopping rule. At the endpoint and , so extending the slow-motion weak-field formula that far is an extrapolation, not a controlled strong-field prediction.