Communications in Theoretical Physics ›› 1988, Vol. 9 ›› Issue (1): 119-125.

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NULL GEODESIC EQUATION EQUIVALENT TO THE GEOMETRIC OPTICS EQUATION

WU Xue-jun, XU Chong-ming   

  1. Department of Physics, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
  • Received: 1986-10-24 Revised: 1986-12-13 Published: 1988-01-30

Abstract: In this paper, we proved that the null geodesic equations in general isotropic metric are rigorously equivalent to the differential equations bf light rays in a medium of flat 3-dimension.,31 space, which are the fundamental equations of geometrical optics, when the effect bf gravitational field tb light ray is taken as that of a variable "refractive index"。Our results provide the basic way to strictly describe the characteristics of some gravitational fields in terms of the Euclidean framework. It may be useful in the computation of modern astrometry and gravitational Lens effects. Finally, as a special example,the deflection of Iight by gravitational field is discussed by means of the formula of pure classical geometrical optics.