Very basic questions about visualizing spacetime

[jaketodd]

I'd like to start with: Does the rubber sheet analogy still hold true enough? Or is there really no visualization (it's all mathematical constructs)?

Does this picture analogy hold at all here?

With the curved geodesics influencing the paths of things.

Thanks!

 

[PeterDonis]

Does the rubber sheet analogy still hold true enough?

What does "true enough" mean? The rubber sheet analogy is fine as far as it goes, but it doesn't go very far at all. So you'll need to explain why you are asking and what you actually want to know.

 

[jaketodd]

Does it hold true enough that there are radial wrinkles in spacetime around a gravitating object, like in this picture of a flexible material being pushed down on at the center?

Thanks

 

[PeterDonis]

Does it hold true enough that there are radial wrinkles in spacetime around a gravitating object, like in this picture of a flexible material being pushed down on at the center?

Where are you getting this from? Please give a reference.

If you want an answer to the more general question "does this random graphic I found on the Internet give a true enough visualization of General Relativity", the answer is no.

 

[PeterDonis]

I'd like to start with

Where do you want to end up? So far your questions do not seem well designed to get you anywhere useful.

 

[jaketodd]

I thought if it's like a rubber sheet, it might deform like a rubber sheet. Is differential geometry a good start to understanding how it really behaves? Thanks

 

[robphy]

I thought if it's like a rubber sheet, it might deform like a rubber sheet. Is differential geometry a good start to understanding how it really behaves? Thanks

Differential geometry of spacetime?
Yes.

Differential geometry of a rubber sheet?
No.

 

[PeterDonis]

I thought if it's like a rubber sheet, it might deform like a rubber sheet.

What "it" do you mean? If "it" means "spacetime", then no, the rubber sheet does not describe it. The rubber sheet analogy is a (limited) analogy for space around a spherically symmetric gravitating body, not spacetime.

Is differential geometry a good start to understanding how it really behaves?

Yes, as presented in any of a number of GR textbooks. When you have taken the time to read some, you can ask further questions if you have them about what you read.

In the meantime, this thread is closed.