Unravelling the Mysteries of Spinning 1-Spheres

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In summary, the conversation discusses the effects of spinning a circle about an axis that runs through its center, including the decrease in distance between points on the circle and the potential changes in properties of particles spun around the axis. The conversation also touches on the challenges of defining rigid bodies in special and general relativity, as well as the role of quantum mechanical spin in relation to electromagnetic properties. The possibility of this research providing evidence for string theory is also mentioned.
  • #1
yourdadonapogostick
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yourdadonapogostick said:
am i missing something here?
we have a circle: [tex](x-h)^2+(y-k)^2=r^2[/tex] where (h,k) is the center and r is the radius. we now spin the circle about an axis that is perpendicular to the plane on which the circle lies and it runs through the center of said circle. gravity contracts length (and my the equivelance principle, so does acceleration), so as the 1-sphere spins about the axis, the distance between any two points on it decreases while the radius stays the same. since [tex]\pi=\frac{c}{2r}[/tex], where c is circumference and r is radius, [tex]\pi[/tex] no longer is a constant. the circle shrinks, but the radius stays the same. what is going on? does the circle turn into a cone?
that post got me thinking. would such change in geometry change the way a string vibrates? if so, that would cause predictable changes in the properties of a particle spun arund an axis that runs through the center of the string and perpendicular to the plane on which it exists. so, spin a bunch of particles and eventually you will get one to spin in the correct manner. if you find the predicted change in particle properties, wouldn't that be evidence for string theory?
 
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  • #2
well, i thought it was a good idea. any ideas on why it is or isn't?
 
  • #3
I'm not sure what you mean by spinning particles, but quantum mechanical spin has nothing to do with spinning.
 
  • #4
yourdadonapogostick said:
well, i thought it was a good idea. any ideas on why it is or isn't?

I'm not sure about the strings, but I know there are some problems in defining rigid bodies in special relativity. I think you have to pinpoint the exact location from where did the circle began spinning (what point of the circle is the first one to experience force) and that would be complicated. I had this problem in my course in electrodynamics, but as I remember we "solved" it by stating that there is a problem of defining a rigid body. Maybe someone else knows ?

However, the QM spin is magnetic moment of a particle, therefore it's not related with the shape, but with EM properties (of "strings", if you like :rolleyes: ).
 
  • #5
I'm not sure about the strings, but I know there are some problems in defining rigid bodies in special relativity. I think you have to pinpoint the exact location from where did the circle began spinning (what point of the circle is the first one to experience force) and that would be complicated. I had this problem in my course in electrodynamics, but as I remember we "solved" it by stating that there is a problem of defining a rigid body. Maybe someone else knows ?
I don't know about that. I heard that spinning bodies aren't well defined in context of general relativity, as in the Riemann geometry the Ricci curvation tensor must be symmetric; this causes problems with exchange of orbital angular momentum and spin because the momentum tensor shouldn't be symmetric in such cases.

but with EM properties (of "strings", if you like ).
One also has Ramond and Neveu-Schwarz sectors which play a part in determing the spin associated with open and closed strings.

P.S.
Pozdrav! Kako sve na PMF-u? :smile:
 
  • #6
Berislav said:
I don't know about that. I heard that spinning bodies aren't well defined in context of general relativity, as in the Riemann geometry the Ricci curvation tensor must be symmetric; this causes problems with exchange of orbital angular momentum and spin because the momentum tensor shouldn't be symmetric in such cases.

I have a rather weak knowledge of GR (and it don't contain many-body or rigid systems), so I don't know. The problem in SR is in the fact that different parts of the rigid body do not (in general cases) accelerate simultaneously.
 
  • #7
Berislav said:
I'm not sure what you mean by spinning particles, but quantum mechanical spin has nothing to do with spinning.
i was talking about actually spinning them around an axis, not qm spin.
 

What is a 1-sphere?

A 1-sphere is a mathematical concept that represents a circle or a spherical shell in one dimension. It can be thought of as a line segment with its endpoints connected, creating a closed loop.

How does a 1-sphere spin?

A 1-sphere can spin in two ways - clockwise or counterclockwise. This rotation is based on the direction of the tangent vector at any point on the 1-sphere. If the tangent vector points to the right, the 1-sphere spins clockwise, and if it points to the left, it spins counterclockwise.

What are the applications of studying 1-spheres?

Studying 1-spheres has applications in many fields, including mathematics, physics, and computer science. In mathematics, it helps in understanding higher dimensions and topology. In physics, 1-spheres are used to model the behavior of particles and fields. In computer science, they are used in computer graphics and data visualization.

What are some properties of spinning 1-spheres?

Spinning 1-spheres have some interesting properties, such as rotational symmetry and constant curvature. This means that no matter how the 1-sphere is rotated, it will always look the same, and the curvature at any point on the 1-sphere will remain the same.

Can spinning 1-spheres be applied in real life?

While 1-spheres may seem like abstract concepts, they have real-life applications. For example, the Earth can be modeled as a spinning 1-sphere, with its rotation representing the Earth's daily spin. Additionally, the concept of spin is essential in quantum mechanics, which has many practical applications in modern technology.

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