- #1
entropy1
- 1,230
- 71
If two events A and B are spacelike separated, is it then true that there can be no causal relationship between the two?
Isn't this the definition?entropy1 said:If two events A and B are spacelike separated, is it then true that there can be no causal relationship between the two?
I didn't succeed in even finding a definition on Wikipedia.martinbn said:Isn't this the definition?
Yes. Whether “no causal relationship” is the definition of “spacelike separated” or the other way around is mostly a matter of taste, as either one implies the other.entropy1 said:If two events A and B are spacelike separated, is it then true that there can be no causal relationship between the two?
I don't think it's quite that simple. See below.martinbn said:Isn't this the definition?
I think it's worth expanding on this a bit.Ibix said:not even something traveling at the speed of light can get from one event to the other. Thus neither one can cause the other.
I don't think this is true. While the implication from "spacelike separated" to "not causally connected" is straightforward, as given above, the reverse implication is not, since if all you know is that two events aren't causally connected, that in itself tells you nothing about the type of spacetime interval between them. You have to already know what "spacelike separated" means in order to make the connection from "not causally connected" to "spacelike separated".Nugatory said:Whether “no causal relationship” is the definition of “spacelike separated” or the other way around is mostly a matter of taste, as either one implies the other.
Causality is the relationship between cause and effect, where the cause is the reason for the effect to occur. It is a fundamental concept in science and philosophy that allows us to understand and explain the natural world.
Spacelike separation is a term used in physics to describe the distance between two events that are too far apart for any information or influence to travel between them at or below the speed of light. In other words, these events are not causally connected.
No, according to the theory of relativity, causality requires a cause to precede its effect in time. When two events are spacelike separated, there is no way for one event to influence the other, so causality cannot exist between them.
Causality and spacelike separation are closely related because causality requires a cause to precede its effect in time, while spacelike separation means there is no way for one event to influence the other. Therefore, if two events are spacelike separated, causality cannot exist between them.
No, according to the theory of relativity, there are no exceptions to this rule. Spacelike separation is a fundamental aspect of the universe, and causality cannot exist between events that are too far apart for any influence to travel between them.