The Linear Field Approximation

Einstein’s theory of general relativity leads to Newtonian gravity in the limit when the gravitational field is weak and static and the particles in the gravitational field moves slowly compared to the velocity of light. In the case of mass distributions of limited extension the field is weak at distances much larger than the Schwarzschild radius of the mass (see Chapter 10). At such distances the absolute value of the gravitational potential is much less than 1, and there is approximately Minkowski spacetime.