Relativistic generalization of the inertial and gravitational masses equivalence principle

Abstract

The Newtonian approximation in the gravitational field description not necessarily involves admission of non-relativistic properties of the source terms in Einstein's equations: it is sufficient to merely consider the weak-field condition for gravitational field. When, e.g., a source has electromagnetic nature, one simply cannot ignore its intrinsically rel-ativistic properties, since there cannot be invented any non-relativistic approximation which would adequately describe electromagnetic stress-energy tensor even at large distances where the fields become naturally weak. But the test particle on which gravitational field is acting, should be treated as non-relativistic (this premise is required for introduction of the Newtonian potential ?N from the geodesic equation). � 2008 World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.