2026/03/23 by Romy Hanang Setya Budhi, Arief Hermanto, Agung Bambang Setio Utomo +1 · 1 citation
Physics and Astronomy · #Apsidal precession #Celestial mechanics #Formalism (music) #General relativity #Gravitation #Newtonian limit #Observable #Precession #Pulsars and Gravitational Waves Research #Quantum and Classical Electrodynamics #Relativity and Gravitational Theory #Tests of general relativity
paper · doi:10.1088/1361-6404/ae55df
published in European Journal of Physics 47(3), 035601 (IOP Publishing)
openalex publication_date 2026/03/23 · openalex created_date 2026/03/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Abstract The relativistic precession of the perihelion provides key evidence for General Relativity (GR) and remains a powerful example for introducing students to gravitational physics. Existing approaches, however, are often too mathematically involved for many undergraduates. In this article, we present a simpler pedagogical framework that requires minimal coding and treats GR and alternative theories as perturbations to the Newtonian central-force problem. The apsidal angle formalism yields compact analytical expressions for perihelion advance in four contexts: the weak-field limit of GR, Yukawa modifications, f ( R ) power-law corrections, and Brans–Dicke scalar–tensor theory. We solve the orbital equation numerically with and without these corrections, demonstrating that precession emerges universally from any deviation from the inverse-square law, including the retrograde shift characteristic of certain f ( R ) models. Quantitative precession rates are then extracted and compared across theories through strategic parameter scaling. This approach establishes classical orbital mechanics as a versatile testing ground for gravitational theories, enabling a direct comparison of their predictions through observable dynamical consequences.