If energy/matter deforms spacetime in three dimensions

  • Context: Graduate 
  • Thread starter Thread starter cowmoo32
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Dimensions Spacetime
Click For Summary
SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the deformation of spacetime by energy and matter, specifically addressing the formation of galaxies and black holes. It highlights that gravity is not the sole factor influencing these structures, referencing Kip Thorne's work on black holes and their accretion disks. The analogy of Earth's equatorial bulge is used to illustrate how rotation affects mass distribution in a gravitational field. The conversation emphasizes the complexity of gravitational interactions and the role of angular momentum in shaping cosmic structures.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of general relativity and spacetime concepts
  • Familiarity with black hole physics and accretion disks
  • Knowledge of galaxy formation theories, particularly spiral galaxies
  • Basic principles of angular momentum in astrophysics
NEXT STEPS
  • Research Kip Thorne's theories in "Black Holes and Time Warps"
  • Explore the mechanics of spiral galaxy formation via academic articles
  • Study the properties and behaviors of accretion disks around black holes
  • Investigate the role of angular momentum in cosmic structure formation
USEFUL FOR

Astronomers, astrophysicists, and students of cosmology interested in the dynamics of galaxies and black holes, as well as those exploring the implications of general relativity in cosmic structures.

cowmoo32
Messages
121
Reaction score
0
If energy/matter deforms spacetime in three dimensions...

Then why do we get galaxies in (relatively) flat discs and black holes that emit radiation in a single plane?
 
Physics news on Phys.org


Well, electric charge acts in 3D, but we can still get 2D materials like graphene.
 


Then why do we get galaxies in (relatively) flat discs and black holes that emit radiation in a single plane?

You have assumed gravity is the unique and direct cause of such phenomena..it isn't .

Spiral galaxy formation:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiral_galaxies#Origin_of_the_spiral_structure

Kip Thorne: BLACK HOLES AND TIME WARPS:

black hole radiation: a spinning black hole behaves like a gyroscope...near the hole the disk
remains in the black hole equatorial plane. gas accreting into the hole from its disk makes the hole spin faster and anchors the disk.

Maybe a crude analogy is the equatorial bulge of the earth...if gravity is symmetrical around a sphere of approximate unuiform mass density, why should such a mass "bulge"..
because of the spin of Earth about its axis.
 

Similar threads

High School How do space and time fuse together to form “spacetime?”
  • · Replies 37 ·
2
Replies
37
Views
4K
Undergrad Spacetime expansion - time dimension expansion
  • · Replies 48 ·
2
Replies
48
Views
4K
Undergrad Black Holes in Curved Spacetime
  • · Replies 23 ·
Replies
23
Views
4K
Undergrad Matter Gaining Energy from Expanding Spacetime?
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
2K
Undergrad Yet another spacetime-bending layman question
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K
High School Free Fall in Curved Spacetime: Does Minkowski Spacetime Exist?
  • · Replies 21 ·
Replies
21
Views
3K
Graduate Small and large extra dimension(s) of the physical space
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
2K
High School What Is the Fourth Dimension and How Does It Work?
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
3K
Graduate Overall perturbation for two free-falling particles in flat spacetime
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
1K
High School Visualizing 3D Contours of Spacetime
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K