27 ms·

The speed of light in vacuum is constant and is not impacted by gravity, AFAIK. Really the light is travelling in a straight line in space but gravity bends spa

• oneshtein 2y ago
  LIGO/Virgo/KAGRA found that speed of light in vacuum is affected by gravitational waves. This is verified experimentally to very high precision (1.2E-20m). Light doesn't travel in a straight line because, to change trajectory of photon, photon must interact with something to exchange momentum. You are talking about mathematical model[1]. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curved_spacetime https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curved_spacetime
  • mytailorisrich 2y ago
    Aren't gravitational waves the same effect I described? c is an universal constant and it seems that you're saying that it is not!
    • oneshtein 2y ago
      > Aren't gravitational waves the same effect I described? I cannot read your mind. > c is an universal constant and it seems that you're saying that it is not! Yep, c is universal constant for many physical models. In physical world, c is constant as long, as properties of physical vacuum (permitivity and permeability) are constant, which in turn depends on α (Fine-structure constant[1]), which, in turn, variates at higher energies[2]. [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fine-structure_constant https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fine-structure_constant [2]: https://arxiv.org/abs/hep-ph/0201198 https://arxiv.org/abs/hep-ph/0201198