Gravitational Waves in Positively Curved Universe?

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SUMMARY

The discussion confirms that in a positively curved universe, gravitational waves would indeed travel around the universe and return to their starting point, similar to light. This concept is rooted in the principles of general relativity, which govern the behavior of gravitational waves. The idea was sparked by a podcast featuring a cosmologist who explained the implications of a positively curved universe, emphasizing the spherical nature of such a cosmos.

PREREQUISITES
  • General Relativity principles
  • Understanding of gravitational waves
  • Cosmological models of the universe
  • Basic knowledge of light propagation in curved spacetime
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the implications of general relativity on gravitational wave propagation
  • Explore the characteristics of positively curved universes
  • Study the detection methods for gravitational waves, such as LIGO
  • Investigate the relationship between light and gravitational waves in cosmology
USEFUL FOR

Astronomers, physicists, and students of cosmology interested in the behavior of gravitational waves and the structure of the universe.

tovisonnenberg
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TL;DR
Would gravitational waves travel like light in a positively curved universe?
Hello everyone! I was listening to a podcast that featured a cosmologist and she mentioned that if the universe was positively curved (and therefore a sphere overall), light would travel around the universe and then end up where it started. I wondered, would a gravitational wave do the same?
 
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tovisonnenberg said:
would a gravitational wave do the same?

Yes.
 

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