CENTRIPETAL ACCELERATION AND CENTRIFUGAL FORCE IN GENERAL RELATIVITY

In nonrelativistic mechanics noninertial observers studying accelerated test particle motion experience a centripetal acceleration which, once interpreted as a centrifugal force acting on the particle, allows writing the particle's equation of motion in a Newtonian form, simply by adding the inertial force contribution to that of the external forces in the acceleration-equals-force equation. In general relativity centripetal and centrifugal acceleration generalizing the classical concepts must be properly (geometrically) defined. This requires a relative Frenet-Serret frame approach based on a family of test observers.