Discovering principle of perihelion precession of astronomical object orbiting

Mechanism-Revealed Physics (24/40) ----- by Bingcheng Zhao
Also Mechanism-Revealed Gravitational Theory (5/7)

The principle of perihelion precession of astronomical object orbiting (PPAOO) embedded in Mechanism-Revealed Gravitational Theory (MRGT): the principle of PPAOO reveals the mechanism and essence behind the perihelion precession of planets. The principle of PPAOO is the combination of the gravitational scale contour lines of space and time with the inertia principle of astronomical object orbiting (IPAOO). IPAOO refers to the nature that an orbiting astronomical object (e.g., a planet orbiting Sun) tends to travel along the direction of its inertial gravitational scale contour lines of space and time in the gravitational field generated by a much more massive astronomical object (e.g., Sun). Because the gravitational scale contour lines of space and time in the gravitational field of Sun consist of infinite number of concentric spheres with the mass center of Sun as their common center, the entire orbit of Mercury is across the different gravitational scale contour lines of space and time in the gravitational field of Sun, since Mercury’s orbit is highly eccentric. Specifically, as Mercury approaches its perihelion, it continuously passes through, from high to low, the gravitational scale contour lines of space and time in the gravitational field generated by Sun, whereas as Mercury moves away its perihelion, it continuously passes through these gravitational scale contour lines of space and time from low to high. As a result, each time as Mercury passes Sun nearby its perihelion position, the inertial tendency of Mercury motion causes its new perihelion moving forward a little bit with respect to its immediately previous perihelion, resulting in the precession of Mercury’s perihelion. After passing its new perihelion, the very inertial tendency causes Mercury to maintain its inertial track by going back the path passing through those same gravitational scale contour lines of space and time as it approaches its perihelion. In other words, the perihelion precession of Mercury is the resultant effect of the inertial tendency occurring before approaching its previous perihelion and after leaving its new perihelion (P. 490 ~ 492, reference #1). [*Note, MRGT = Mechanism-Revealed Gravitational Theory (P. 445 ~ 514, Ch.4B, reference #1)].

The principle of PPAOO has been verified by citing the famous observed perihelion precession of Mercury: the value calculated with the principle of PPAOO is 43.51 arcsec/century vs. the observed value is 43.11 ± 0.45 arcsec/century (P. 493, reference #1).

The key to understanding of the principle of PPAOO: (i) due to its mechanism-revealed nature, the principle of PPAOO in MRGT is mechanistically thus essentially different from that in Einstein’s general relativity that is postulate-based feature. (ii) As long as you have known the greatest equation in the history of science, which is Einstein’s famous mass-energy equation (E = mc^2 or E0 = mc^2), you will easily understand the principle of PPAOO, because the law of object’s mass doing work (P. 93 ~ 109, Ch.1A, reference #1), which lays the foundation of the principle of PPAOO, also reveals the mechanism behind the greatest equation (P. 114 ~ 118, Ch.1B, reference #1).


Reference #1: 2009, Bingcheng Zhao, From Postulate-Based Modern Physics to Mechanism-Revealed Physics [Vol. 1(1/2)], ISBN: 978-1-4357-4913-9.
Reference #2: 2009, Bingcheng Zhao, From Postulate-Based Modern Physics to Mechanism-Revealed Physics [Vol. 2(2/2)], ISBN: 978-1-4357-5033-3.

Ph.D., Bingcheng Zhao,
The author of “From Postulate-Based Modern Physics to Mechanism-Revealed Physics”
1401 NE Merman Dr. Apt. 703, Pullman, WA 99163 USA.
Email: bingcheng.zhao@gmail.com