Stellar Physics and General Relativity

TL;DR

This paper challenges the long-held assumption that Newtonian gravity suffices for medium-density celestial bodies, showing that non-perturbative effects from general relativity significantly alter internal physical predictions, including for the Sun and gas planets.

Contribution

The paper presents evidence that non-perturbative effects in general relativity impact the internal structure models of the Sun and gas planets, contradicting the standard solar model.

Findings

Local physical quantities inside the Sun exhibit power-law behavior different from standard models.

Non-perturbative effects significantly alter predictions of celestial body internal structures.

A new mass formula is applied to gas planets, providing revised insights.

Abstract

The general theory of relativity is currently established as the most precise theory of gravity supported by observations, and its application is diverse ranging from astronomy to cosmology, while its application to astrophysics has been restricted only to compact stars due to the assumption that the Newtonian approximation is sufficient for celestial bodies with medium density such as the sun. Surprisingly, the recent research of the author has implied that this long-held assumption is not valid, and that non-perturbative effects significantly change relevant results obtained by Newtonian gravity. In particular, local physical quantities inside the sun are newly predicted to exhibit power law differently from the so-called standard solar model. This surprising result is reviewed including brief discussion of physics behind the discrepancy and a new application of the new mass formula to gas planets.