The deviation of light by a star and the precession of the perihelion of a planetary orbit are usually derived by independent methods. In the present paper the equations of motion for weak gravitation are integrated approximately and both effects are derived simultaneously.

1.
L. D. Landau and E. M. Lifshitz, The Classical Theory of Fields (Nauka, Moscow, 1988).
2.
Sean M. Carroll, “Lecture notes on general relativity,” 〈http://pancake.uchicago.edu/∼carroll/notes/〉.
3.
S. Weinberg, Gravitation and Cosmology: Principles and Applications of the General Theory of Relativity (Wiley, New York, 1972).
4.
See solutions to Problem 15.7a (perihelion precession with small eccentricity) and Problem 15.9 (deviation of a particle by a star) in S. Lightman, W. H. Press, R. H. Price, and S. A. Teukolski, Problem Book in Relativity and Gravitation (Princeton U. P., Princeton, 1975).
5.
An excellent review of the literature on light bending and perihelion precession can be found in the references cited in Bruce Dean, “Phase-pane analysis of perihelion precession and Schwarzschild orbital dynamics,” Am. J. Phys. 67, 78–86 (1999).
6.
W.
Robin
, “
Schwarzschild relativistic orbits
,”
Eur. J. Phys.
12
,
204
206
(
1991
).
7.
R.
Weinstock
, “
A novel method for solving a class of differential equations
,”
Am. J. Phys.
57
,
1144
1147
(
1989
).
8.
Eugene
Golowich
,
Philip S.
Gribosky
, and
Palash B.
Pal
, “
Gravitational scattering of quantum particles
,”
Am. J. Phys.
58
(
7
),
688
691
(
1900
).
9.
Dieter R.
Brill
and
Deepak
Goel
, “
Light bending and perihelion precession: A unified approach
,”
Am. J. Phys.
67
,
316
324
(
1999
).
10.
In Newtonian physics the Runge–Lenz vector is conserved.
11.
We will consider a particle moving far away from the star with arbitrary velocity v0. Light bending is a special case, when v0=c.
12.
This method of performing the integral in Eq. (14) was suggested by A. D. Dolgov.
13.
A. G. Kurosh, Course of Higher Algebra (Nauka, Moscow, 1975).
14.
C. Misner, K. Thorne, and J. Wheeler, Gravitation (Freeman, San Francisco, 1973).
15.
Joel
Rauber
, “
Precession of the perihelion
,”
Am. J. Phys.
55
(
6
),
490
(
1987
).
This content is only available via PDF.
AAPT members receive access to the American Journal of Physics and The Physics Teacher as a member benefit. To learn more about this member benefit and becoming an AAPT member, visit the Joining AAPT page.