Minkowski Diagram: Expanding Universe

In summary, the conversation is discussing the possibility of drawing a Minkowski space diagram for expanding space without acceleration or black holes. However, this is not possible since the expanding space models are not flat and cannot be represented by a Minkowski diagram. The Milne model is suggested as an alternative, but there are multiple ways to represent it in curved spacetime.
  • #1
sqljunkey
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Is this how you would draw the Minkowski space diagram with space expanding, (without acceleration or black holes) ?
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  • #2
sqljunkey said:
the Minkowski space diagram with space expanding

There is no such thing. The "expanding space" spacetime models (the FRW spacetimes) are not flat, so they're not Minkowski spacetime. So you can't draw a Minkowski spacetime diagram of them at all.
 
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  • #3
sqljunkey said:
Is this how you would draw the Minkowski space diagram with space expanding, (without acceleration or black holes) ?
You might want to look at the Milne model

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milne_model
 
  • #4
It's reasonable to want to draw a map of a (1+1) dimensional slice of spacetime. However this isn't a Minkowski diagram unless it's Minkowski spacetime. There's also more than one way to do it in curved spacetime, much as there are multiple flat representations of the surface of the Earth. For example, see figure 1 in Davis and Lineweaver https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0310808
 

1. What is a Minkowski diagram?

A Minkowski diagram is a graphical representation of the relationship between space and time in the theory of special relativity. It is used to visualize the effects of time dilation and length contraction on an object moving at high speeds.

2. How does a Minkowski diagram illustrate an expanding universe?

In a Minkowski diagram, the x-axis represents space and the y-axis represents time. The slope of a line on the diagram represents the speed of an object. In an expanding universe, the slope of the line will increase as the object moves further away, representing the increasing rate of expansion.

3. How does the Minkowski diagram differ from a traditional graph?

The Minkowski diagram uses a different coordinate system than a traditional graph. It also takes into account the effects of special relativity, such as time dilation and length contraction, which are not typically considered in a traditional graph.

4. Can a Minkowski diagram be used to visualize other cosmological phenomena?

Yes, a Minkowski diagram can also be used to visualize other cosmological phenomena, such as the cosmic microwave background radiation and the expansion of the universe due to dark energy.

5. How does the Minkowski diagram support the theory of an expanding universe?

The Minkowski diagram provides a visual representation of the increasing rate of expansion in an expanding universe. It also helps to illustrate the effects of special relativity on the expansion of the universe, providing evidence for the theory of an expanding universe.

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