Spacetime Definition and 1000 Threads

  1. J

    Conformal symmetry of FRW spacetime

    The standard spatially flat FRW metric in Cartesian co-moving co-ordinates is given by: $$ds^2=dt^2-a(t)^2(dx^2+dy^2+dz^2)$$ As far as I understand it the fact that the metric can be written in a form that is independent of ##x,y,z## implies that the Universe has the physical qualities of being...
  2. Spinnor

    Bose and Fermi statistics in 1+1 spacetime?

    Do we have Bose like and Fermi like particles (fields) in 1+1 dimensional spacetime, Fermi like particles (fields) that obey the Pauli Exclusion Principle? For what space dimensions does the Pauli Exclusion Principle operate? Thanks for any help!
  3. U

    Satellite orbiting around Earth - Spacetime Metric

    Homework Statement The metric near Earth is ##ds^2 = -c^2 \left(1-\frac{2GM}{rc^2} \right)dt^2 + \left(1+\frac{2GM}{rc^2} \right)\left( dx^2+dy^2+dz^2\right)##. (a) Find all non-zero christoffel symbols for this metric. (b) Find satellite's period. (c) Why does ##R^i_{0j0} \simeq \partial_j...
  4. Atlas3

    Does light receive a spacetime curvature upon refraction?

    could the bend be described mathematically? Not the vector the curvature.
  5. H

    Hypothetical Shape of a Spacetime and Time Travel

    Disclaimer: I am an aeronautical engineer with a background in fluids. My knowledge of cosmology only extends to articles and things I read before I go to sleep. So, here is my question: I have though about time travel, as many other people have. Currently we think it may not be possible, as it...
  6. RisingSun361

    Does spacetime imply fatalism?

    [FONT=Verdana]I'm currently reading Relativity: A Very Short Introduction. One part caught my attention: [FONT=Verdana]Does this mean that the future is already embedded in spacetime?
  7. Strange design

    Spacetime: Is There Zero Separation for Charged Particles?

    Is it correct to say that two arbitrary charged particles in space have a spacetime separation of zero? And if so, is this the explanation for how the electrostatic force between them acts instantaneously across any 3 dimensional distance. (By "instantaneously" I mean that the force would...
  8. RisingSun361

    How does the curvature of spacetime affect space?

    If the fabric of the universe is made of both space and time, and curving spacetime affects time, then I'm guessing it also affects space. I'm aware that an object shortens in length as it approaches the speed of light. But in the case of gravity, is space relative like time? Does an object on...
  9. bcrowell

    Computing trajectories in Schwarzschild spacetime

    I want to produce some realistic figures showing the spatial trajectories of test particles in a Schwarzschild spacetime. For instance, I'd like to start a massive test particle at aponegricon (how often do you get to use that word!?) in an orbit that Kepler and Newton would have predicted to be...
  10. Q

    Does the mass of a spinning object twist spacetime?

    Does the mass of a spinning object twist space time? If so is this why all natural satellites orbit in the same direction as the spin of the said object?
  11. T

    Static universe, spacetime and the stress-energy tensor

    Einstein's static universe obeys ##\rho = 2\lambda##. So, attractive and repelling gravity cancel each other. I'm curious about the spacetime in this universe. Because the scale factor is constant, it seems that neighboring co-moving test particles don't show relative acceleration, thus no...
  12. 5

    Realizing Warp Drive with Matter-Antimatter Fuel Cells

    My question is related to M. Alcubierres paper on the warp drive within general relativity. I was wondering about the realizability of this, setting the three energy conditions aside for the moment. Assuming the highest energy density known to me as an energy source, namely something like...
  13. L

    Can Quantum Gravity Allow Spacetime and Matter to Interchange?

    Supersymmetry interachanges bosons and fermions and can make bosons transform into fermions and vice versa... is there equivalent in quantum gravity where spacetime and matter can transform to each other and spacetime can become matter and matter can become spacetime.. isn't something akin to...
  14. L

    Understanding Spacetime in QM and QFT: Time Treatment and Particle Tracking

    spacetime is classical and continuous.. so when quantum system form superposition or entanglement, how is time treated esp in qft? how does spacetime keep track of the particles of fields? or how does the fields or particles able to jump in spacetime.. how is this handle in qm or qft?
  15. A

    Trampoline analogy for gravity

    The trampoline analogy tries to explain gravity in terms of space time curvature the orbit of objects around a massive object can be understood, but what about centre of gravity of the massive object, the images of trampoline is generally shown as seen from top where the massive object is making...
  16. T

    Is mass movement influenced by the curvature of spacetime?

    Is the movement of a mass affected by its curvature in spacetime? For instance will a forward moving planet diverges from its original straight line path due to the curvature of spacetime cause by it?
  17. BiGyElLoWhAt

    How Did Clifford's Theories Influence Modern Physics and String Theory?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaluza–Klein_theory ##http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF01390677 (original german paper, Ich kan nicht Deutsche) http://www.scientificexploration.org/journal/jse_21_3_beichler.pdf (this author makes some interesting arguments) Also, a lot (if not all...
  18. T

    Mass Warping Spacetime Explained: Quantum Field Theory

    How do u use quantum field theory to explain why mass warped spacetime? Is it something like spacetime is like a field and mass can only interact with it. The presence of mass excites the field (spacetime) producing graviton which distort spacetime. Is it something like that? If not can some1...
  19. T

    Mass Warping Spacetime: QFT & Gravitons Explained

    Is it something like that involves gravitons? Like mass producing gravitons that warp spacetime? All is it something like qft whereby spacetime is just a field and only those with mass can interact with it, resulting in warped in spacetime which is equivalent to excitation of fields in quantum...
  20. I

    Interplay of space and time in Spacetime invariant interval

    According to Special Relativity, the same event could have a different time duration and a different space extension for different observers, depending on their frame of reference. Relativity subsequently introduced the the notions of Spacetime as a continuum ( as opposed to the classical...
  21. H

    Relative Motion & Rotation of Axes of Reference

    I'm still very early on in my reading, so forgive me if this question isn't coherent. In the "historical introduction" section of the 1920 University of Calcutta translation of the original papers of Einstein and Minkowski available via the MIT online archive, mention is made of the fact that...
  22. michael879

    Quantum Mechanics in 1+1 spacetime

    I was trying to make a problem simpler by working in 1+1 spacetime, and I realized that it's far from obvious that quantum physics would even work in this case. Any non-spin related phenomenon could still work (e.g. quantum scalar fields, schrodinger equation) but in less than 2 spatial...
  23. E

    Does energy level determine the smallest region of spacetime that can be probed?

    Is it true that as you go higher in energy, from 1 eV to GeV to 10 TeV, you can probe smaller spacetime region. Since the LHC has only probed up to the 4 TeV or so, it means they have probed the corresponding tiny region of spacetime.. meaning it is still possible spacetime becomes discrete at...
  24. S

    Do free-falling objects also curve spacetime?

    First of all, I'm having a difficulty in defining what a static spacetime is. Does it presume that the objects with mass in the system are just sitting around and doing nothing, with no motion, relative to our frame, so there can be no motion and change in curvature of spacetime through time...
  25. K

    Dynamical Spacetime: Time or Space Dependent?

    when do you call a spacetime dynamical...when metric is time dependent or it depends on space ??...
  26. J

    Spacetime Interval & Metric: Equivalent?

    This may seem an odd question but it will clear something up for me. Are "The spacetime interval is invariant." and the "The spacetime metric is a tensor." exactly equivalent statements? Does one imply more or less information than the other? Thanks!
  27. Spinnor

    Do spinors still do "funky" weird stuff in 1+1 spacetime?

    Apparently we still need spinors for the Dirac equation in 1+1 dimensional space-time. Do spinors still do "funky" weird stuff in 1+1 dimensional space-time? Thanks for any help!
  28. tom.stoer

    Newtonian Spacetime: MTW Chap 12 Q&A by Tom

    I have some questions regarding Newtonian spacetime; reference is MTW chap. 12. MTW translate the Lagrange e.o.m. for Newtonian mechanics (with a potential phi derived from a mass density rho via Poisson eq.) into a geodesic equation in 4-dim. spacetime. They explicitly construct the...
  29. J

    Spacetime Curvature by Mass: Gravity Impact?

    Is there an attribute of spacetime that determines the curvature that will be caused by a specific mass thus resulting to the corresponding gravity? In other words: can there be "harder" or "softer" regions of spacetime where the same mass will bend spacetime less or more thus resulting to less...
  30. D

    How Does Blood Flow Velocity Relate to Spacetime?

    What is the velocity of a person's blood flow relative to the earth?
  31. B

    Are There Really 4 Isotropic Axes of Spacetime at Light Speed?

    below the speed of light we experience one axis if time and three of space. So at the speed of light the space and time unify and we get 4 isotropic axes of spacetime. 4 identical dimensions. is this correct?
  32. R

    Ball Thrown Up Follows Curvature of Spacetime

    A ball thrown up comes down again because the ball follows the curvature of spacetime. So is it possible that the ball comes down and before hitting the surface, goes up again due to curvature of the spacetime,which now point upward.
  33. W

    Basic question about spacetime and matter

    I'm trying to understand the concepts of physics, but there's one thing I don't fully get... If there is some matter with a spatial and temporal coordinate, let's say coordinate X, is the matter "in" that time and place, or "is" the matter that time and place? In other words, does space-time...
  34. Q

    Is Spacetime Flat? Answers to Orbit Questions

    Is space-time flat and if the answer is yes then how can objects orbit vertically and diagonally(since gravity is the warping of space-time)? Or does it exist from all sides?
  35. A

    Is Space-Time Dilation Just a Funny Concept or Does It Have Real Properties?

    Hi all, I was wondering if anybody else here thinks the concept of space-time dilation/concentration (curvature) is a little bit funny, not in the sense of it having an effect on the neighbouring particles, but in the sense of actually stretching or contracting, as though it itself had certain...
  36. T

    Big Bang: Spacetime Created in 1 Sec

    During the first second of the Big Bang a mind boggling amount happened. So much so that we need to measure it in plank time to appreciate all the stages that occur. And in that 'bang' spacetime was created. My question is this. As space dilated would time not dilate? Meaning. If I were able to...
  37. R

    Spacetime: How It Is One & How It Moves

    Why do we say spacetime is moving and not space is moving in time dimension. And how is spacetime one. Also, there is only space, where changes(event) occur, and the rate of changes is describe with term time. That is, time is just a term and not actually a dimension like space(3 dimension).
  38. rmoh13

    Is the speed of light truly constant?

    The question that ponders upon the thought if the speed of light really is constant is a fairly common question. However, I was wondering about something and MAYBE this can provide some backup to the theory that the speed of light isn't constant, please point out any mistakes I make in stating...
  39. Thinkor

    Evidence for Variable Speed of Gravity in Coordinate Spacetime

    Although the speed of light is constant in GR, within coordinate spacetime the speed of light varies. For example, light travels more slowly near a black hole than in remote space. The same is theoretically true of the speed of gravity. But is there any supporting empirical evidence?
  40. V

    Topology of Relativity: Implications of Niels Bohr's Arguments

    I have seen in the online Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy in the entry on Copenhagen Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics that Niels Bohr had argued that the theory of relativity is not a literal representation of the universe: "Neither does the theory of relativity, Bohr argued, provide us...
  41. C

    Schwarzschild Spacetime: Ellipsoidal for Moving Observers?

    In special relativity a sphere in the rest frame for some observer looks like an ellipsoid for an observer with a relative velocity. Can we use the same reasoning for the Schwarzschild spacetime? Namely that a spherically symmetric spacetime produced by a spherical mass look ellipsoidal for an...
  42. V

    Mathematical Considerations of Spacetime in Classical Mechanics

    When studying the motion of particles in space, what are the mathematical considerations that have to made of spacetime? Could I say there exists a bijection between spacetime and ##\mathbb{R}^4##? Is the topology under consideration the usual product topology of ##\mathbb{R}^4##? Are there any...
  43. Q

    Length contraction and time dilation in spacetime

    Observers that pass each other with a relative speed close to the speed of light will observe length contraction and time dilation at the other observer. In a spacetime diagram, this would be represented by two worldlines making an angle, right? Some textbooks suggest that some of the length...
  44. C

    Relativity & Spacetime: Interval Explained

    Hi! I'm a student reading a book given to me by my teacher about relativity and spacetime. It says that the separation between events in spacetime is measured in "intervals," and I can understand that part. What I don't understand is why you subtract the squares of the distance in space instead...
  45. R

    How does one get time dilation, length contraction, and E=mc^2 from spacetime metric?

    How does one get time dilation, length contraction, and E=mc^2 from the spacetime metric? Suppose all that you are given is x12 + x22 + x32 - c2t2 = s2 How do you derive time dilation, length contraction, and E=mc^2 from this? What is the most direct way to do this?
  46. E

    Diffeomorphism and removal of all matter from the spacetime

    It is unclear to me (1) what precisely diffeomorphism means and (2) what happens when all matter is removed from the spacetime. Sean Carrol says that: "the theory is free of "prior geometry" and there is no preferred coordinate system for spacetime." http://arxiv.org/pdf/gr-qc/9712019v1.pdf page...
  47. R

    Sinking instead of expanding universe?

    We all know the concept of the universe expanding. Would it be possible that the universe is not expanding at all, but the spacetime between objects is increasing? My question comes from the idea that spacetime is changed due to the presence of gravitational objects and the idea that gravity is...
  48. julcab12

    The birth of spacetime atoms as the passage of time

    http://arxiv.org/pdf/1405.3492v1.pdf The birth of spacetime atoms as the passage of time The view that the passage of time is physical finds expression in the classical sequential growth models of Rideout and Sorkin in which a discrete spacetime grows by the partially ordered accretion of new...
  49. H

    Locally Maximally Symmetric Spacetimes

    Can one say that every general curved spacetime, locally is maximally symmetric? I know that one can say that every general curved spacetime is locally flat (and therefore maximally symmetric with R=0), but I'm talking about a very high curvature spacetime, where still we can consider nonzero...
  50. T

    Spacetime diagram drawing problem

    I was drawing a spacetime diagram to relate Doppler shift effect but i stuck at a point which i can't understand This is what I'm trying to draw An object with mirror is moving away from me with a velocity of 50% speed of light When each second passes in my clock i send light pulses at that...
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