“Geodesic Principle” in General Relativity∗
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On the Status of the Geodesic Principle in Newtonian and Relativistic Physics1
View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by PhilSci Archive On the Status of the Geodesic Principle in Newtonian and Relativistic Physics1 James Owen Weatherall2 Logic and Philosophy of Science University of California, Irvine Abstract A theorem due to Bob Geroch and Pong Soo Jang [\Motion of a Body in General Relativ- ity." Journal of Mathematical Physics 16(1), (1975)] provides a sense in which the geodesic principle has the status of a theorem in General Relativity (GR). I have recently shown that a similar theorem holds in the context of geometrized Newtonian gravitation (Newton- Cartan theory) [Weatherall, J. O. \The Motion of a Body in Newtonian Theories." Journal of Mathematical Physics 52(3), (2011)]. Here I compare the interpretations of these two the- orems. I argue that despite some apparent differences between the theorems, the status of the geodesic principle in geometrized Newtonian gravitation is, mutatis mutandis, strikingly similar to the relativistic case. 1 Introduction The geodesic principle is the central principle of General Relativity (GR) that describes the inertial motion of test particles. It states that free massive test point particles traverse timelike geodesics. There is a long-standing view, originally due to Einstein, that the geodesic principle has a special status in GR that arises because it can be understood as a theorem, rather than a postulate, of the theory. (It turns out that capturing the geodesic principle as a theorem in GR is non-trivial, but a result due to Bob Geroch and Pong Soo Jang (1975) 1Thank you to David Malament and Jeff Barrett for helpful comments on a previous version of this paper and for many stimulating conversations on this topic. -
Geodesic Spheres in Grassmann Manifolds
GEODESIC SPHERES IN GRASSMANN MANIFOLDS BY JOSEPH A. WOLF 1. Introduction Let G,(F) denote the Grassmann manifold consisting of all n-dimensional subspaces of a left /c-dimensional hermitian vectorspce F, where F is the real number field, the complex number field, or the algebra of real quater- nions. We view Cn, (1') tS t Riemnnian symmetric space in the usual way, and study the connected totally geodesic submanifolds B in which any two distinct elements have zero intersection as subspaces of F*. Our main result (Theorem 4 in 8) states that the submanifold B is a compact Riemannian symmetric spce of rank one, and gives the conditions under which it is a sphere. The rest of the paper is devoted to the classification (up to a global isometry of G,(F)) of those submanifolds B which ure isometric to spheres (Theorem 8 in 13). If B is not a sphere, then it is a real, complex, or quater- nionic projective space, or the Cyley projective plane; these submanifolds will be studied in a later paper [11]. The key to this study is the observation thut ny two elements of B, viewed as subspaces of F, are at a constant angle (isoclinic in the sense of Y.-C. Wong [12]). Chapter I is concerned with sets of pairwise isoclinic n-dimen- sional subspces of F, and we are able to extend Wong's structure theorem for such sets [12, Theorem 3.2, p. 25] to the complex numbers nd the qua- ternions, giving a unified and basis-free treatment (Theorem 1 in 4). -
General Relativity Fall 2019 Lecture 13: Geodesic Deviation; Einstein field Equations
General Relativity Fall 2019 Lecture 13: Geodesic deviation; Einstein field equations Yacine Ali-Ha¨ımoud October 11th, 2019 GEODESIC DEVIATION The principle of equivalence states that one cannot distinguish a uniform gravitational field from being in an accelerated frame. However, tidal fields, i.e. gradients of gravitational fields, are indeed measurable. Here we will show that the Riemann tensor encodes tidal fields. Consider a fiducial free-falling observer, thus moving along a geodesic G. We set up Fermi normal coordinates in µ the vicinity of this geodesic, i.e. coordinates in which gµν = ηµν jG and ΓνσjG = 0. Events along the geodesic have coordinates (x0; xi) = (t; 0), where we denote by t the proper time of the fiducial observer. Now consider another free-falling observer, close enough from the fiducial observer that we can describe its position with the Fermi normal coordinates. We denote by τ the proper time of that second observer. In the Fermi normal coordinates, the spatial components of the geodesic equation for the second observer can be written as d2xi d dxi d2xi dxi d2t dxi dxµ dxν = (dt/dτ)−1 (dt/dτ)−1 = (dt/dτ)−2 − (dt/dτ)−3 = − Γi − Γ0 : (1) dt2 dτ dτ dτ 2 dτ dτ 2 µν µν dt dt dt The Christoffel symbols have to be evaluated along the geodesic of the second observer. If the second observer is close µ µ λ λ µ enough to the fiducial geodesic, we may Taylor-expand Γνσ around G, where they vanish: Γνσ(x ) ≈ x @λΓνσjG + 2 µ 0 µ O(x ). -
Tensor-Spinor Theory of Gravitation in General Even Space-Time Dimensions
Physics Letters B 817 (2021) 136288 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Physics Letters B www.elsevier.com/locate/physletb Tensor-spinor theory of gravitation in general even space-time dimensions ∗ Hitoshi Nishino a, ,1, Subhash Rajpoot b a Department of Physics, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, California State University, 2345 E. San Ramon Avenue, M/S ST90, Fresno, CA 93740, United States of America b Department of Physics & Astronomy, California State University, 1250 Bellflower Boulevard, Long Beach, CA 90840, United States of America a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t Article history: We present a purely tensor-spinor theory of gravity in arbitrary even D = 2n space-time dimensions. Received 18 March 2021 This is a generalization of the purely vector-spinor theory of gravitation by Bars and MacDowell (BM) in Accepted 9 April 2021 4D to general even dimensions with the signature (2n − 1, 1). In the original BM-theory in D = (3, 1), Available online 21 April 2021 the conventional Einstein equation emerges from a theory based on the vector-spinor field ψμ from a Editor: N. Lambert m lagrangian free of both the fundamental metric gμν and the vierbein eμ . We first improve the original Keywords: BM-formulation by introducing a compensator χ, so that the resulting theory has manifest invariance = =− = Bars-MacDowell theory under the nilpotent local fermionic symmetry: δψ Dμ and δ χ . We next generalize it to D Vector-spinor (2n − 1, 1), following the same principle based on a lagrangian free of fundamental metric or vielbein Tensors-spinors rs − now with the field content (ψμ1···μn−1 , ωμ , χμ1···μn−2 ), where ψμ1···μn−1 (or χμ1···μn−2 ) is a (n 1) (or Metric-less formulation (n − 2)) rank tensor-spinor. -
Einstein, Nordström and the Early Demise of Scalar, Lorentz Covariant Theories of Gravitation
JOHN D. NORTON EINSTEIN, NORDSTRÖM AND THE EARLY DEMISE OF SCALAR, LORENTZ COVARIANT THEORIES OF GRAVITATION 1. INTRODUCTION The advent of the special theory of relativity in 1905 brought many problems for the physics community. One, it seemed, would not be a great source of trouble. It was the problem of reconciling Newtonian gravitation theory with the new theory of space and time. Indeed it seemed that Newtonian theory could be rendered compatible with special relativity by any number of small modifications, each of which would be unlikely to lead to any significant deviations from the empirically testable conse- quences of Newtonian theory.1 Einstein’s response to this problem is now legend. He decided almost immediately to abandon the search for a Lorentz covariant gravitation theory, for he had failed to construct such a theory that was compatible with the equality of inertial and gravitational mass. Positing what he later called the principle of equivalence, he decided that gravitation theory held the key to repairing what he perceived as the defect of the special theory of relativity—its relativity principle failed to apply to accelerated motion. He advanced a novel gravitation theory in which the gravitational potential was the now variable speed of light and in which special relativity held only as a limiting case. It is almost impossible for modern readers to view this story with their vision unclouded by the knowledge that Einstein’s fantastic 1907 speculations would lead to his greatest scientific success, the general theory of relativity. Yet, as we shall see, in 1 In the historical period under consideration, there was no single label for a gravitation theory compat- ible with special relativity. -
Derivation of Generalized Einstein's Equations of Gravitation in Some
Preprints (www.preprints.org) | NOT PEER-REVIEWED | Posted: 5 February 2021 doi:10.20944/preprints202102.0157.v1 Derivation of generalized Einstein's equations of gravitation in some non-inertial reference frames based on the theory of vacuum mechanics Xiao-Song Wang Institute of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, Henan Province, 454000, China (Dated: Dec. 15, 2020) When solving the Einstein's equations for an isolated system of masses, V. Fock introduces har- monic reference frame and obtains an unambiguous solution. Further, he concludes that there exists a harmonic reference frame which is determined uniquely apart from a Lorentz transformation if suitable supplementary conditions are imposed. It is known that wave equations keep the same form under Lorentz transformations. Thus, we speculate that Fock's special harmonic reference frames may have provided us a clue to derive the Einstein's equations in some special class of non-inertial reference frames. Following this clue, generalized Einstein's equations in some special non-inertial reference frames are derived based on the theory of vacuum mechanics. If the field is weak and the reference frame is quasi-inertial, these generalized Einstein's equations reduce to Einstein's equa- tions. Thus, this theory may also explain all the experiments which support the theory of general relativity. There exist some differences between this theory and the theory of general relativity. Keywords: Einstein's equations; gravitation; general relativity; principle of equivalence; gravitational aether; vacuum mechanics. I. INTRODUCTION p. 411). Theoretical interpretation of the small value of Λ is still open [6]. The Einstein's field equations of gravitation are valid 3. -
Einstein's Gravitational Field
Einstein’s gravitational field Abstract: There exists some confusion, as evidenced in the literature, regarding the nature the gravitational field in Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity. It is argued here that this confusion is a result of a change in interpretation of the gravitational field. Einstein identified the existence of gravity with the inertial motion of accelerating bodies (i.e. bodies in free-fall) whereas contemporary physicists identify the existence of gravity with space-time curvature (i.e. tidal forces). The interpretation of gravity as a curvature in space-time is an interpretation Einstein did not agree with. 1 Author: Peter M. Brown e-mail: [email protected] 2 INTRODUCTION Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity (EGR) has been credited as the greatest intellectual achievement of the 20th Century. This accomplishment is reflected in Time Magazine’s December 31, 1999 issue 1, which declares Einstein the Person of the Century. Indeed, Einstein is often taken as the model of genius for his work in relativity. It is widely assumed that, according to Einstein’s general theory of relativity, gravitation is a curvature in space-time. There is a well- accepted definition of space-time curvature. As stated by Thorne 2 space-time curvature and tidal gravity are the same thing expressed in different languages, the former in the language of relativity, the later in the language of Newtonian gravity. However one of the main tenants of general relativity is the Principle of Equivalence: A uniform gravitational field is equivalent to a uniformly accelerating frame of reference. This implies that one can create a uniform gravitational field simply by changing one’s frame of reference from an inertial frame of reference to an accelerating frame, which is rather difficult idea to accept. -
Unique Properties of the Geodesic Dome High
Printing: This poster is 48” wide by 36” Unique Properties of the Geodesic Dome high. It’s designed to be printed on a large-format printer. Verlaunte Hawkins, Timothy Szeltner || Michael Gallagher Washkewicz College of Engineering, Cleveland State University Customizing the Content: 1 Abstract 3 Benefits 4 Drawbacks The placeholders in this poster are • Among structures, domes carry the distinction of • Consider the dome in comparison to a rectangular • Domes are unable to be partitioned effectively containing a maximum amount of volume with the structure of equal height: into rooms, and the surface of the dome may be formatted for you. Type in the minimum amount of material required. Geodesic covered in windows, limiting privacy placeholders to add text, or click domes are a twentieth century development, in • Geodesic domes are exceedingly strong when which the members of the thin shell forming the considering both vertical and wind load • Numerous seams across the surface of the dome an icon to add a table, chart, dome are equilateral triangles. • 25% greater vertical load capacity present the problem of water and wind leakage; SmartArt graphic, picture or • 34% greater shear load capacity dampness within the dome cannot be removed • This union of the sphere and the triangle produces without some difficulty multimedia file. numerous benefits with regards to strength, • Domes are characterized by their “frequency”, the durability, efficiency, and sustainability of the number of struts between pentagonal sections • Acoustic properties of the dome reflect and To add or remove bullet points structure. However, the original desire for • Increasing the frequency of the dome closer amplify sound inside, further undermining privacy from text, click the Bullets button widespread residential, commercial, and industrial approximates a sphere use was hindered by other practical and aesthetic • Zoning laws may prevent construction in certain on the Home tab. -
Einstein's 1916 Derivation of the Field Equations
1 Einstein's 1916 derivation of the Field Equations Galina Weinstein 24/10/2013 Abstract: In his first November 4, 1915 paper Einstein wrote the Lagrangian form of his field equations. In the fourth November 25, 1915 paper, Einstein added a trace term of the energy- momentum tensor on the right-hand side of the generally covariant field equations. The main purpose of the present work is to show that in November 4, 1915, Einstein had already explored much of the main ingredients that were required for the formulation of the final form of the field equations of November 25, 1915. The present work suggests that the idea of adding the second-term on the right-hand side of the field equation might have originated in reconsideration of the November 4, 1915 field equations. In this regard, the final form of Einstein's field equations with the trace term may be linked with his work of November 4, 1915. The interesting history of the derivation of the final form of the field equations is inspired by the exchange of letters between Einstein and Paul Ehrenfest in winter 1916 and by Einstein's 1916 derivation of the November 25, 1915 field equations. In 1915, Einstein wrote the vacuum (matter-free) field equations in the form:1 for all systems of coordinates for which It is sufficient to note that the left-hand side represents the gravitational field, with g the metric tensor field. Einstein wrote the field equations in Lagrangian form. The action,2 and the Lagrangian, 2 Using the components of the gravitational field: Einstein wrote the variation: which gives:3 We now come back to (2), and we have, Inserting (6) into (7) gives the field equations (1). -
Arxiv:0911.0614V15 [Gr-Qc] 19 Jun 2018 Fteeequations These of Nevlso Hne,Tog Htlae Ttime-Like
Application of Lagrange mechanics for analysis of the light-like particle motion in pseudo-Riemann space Wladimir Belayev Center for Relativity and Astrophysics, Saint-Petersburg, Russia e-mail: [email protected] We consider variation of energy of the light-like particle in the pseudo-Riemann space-time, find Lagrangian, canonical momenta and forces. Equations of the critical curve are obtained by the nonzero energy integral variation in accordance with principles of the calculus of variations in me- chanics. This method is compared with the Fermat’s and geodesics principles. Equations for energy and momentum of the particle transferred to the gravity field are defined. Equations of the critical curve are solved for the metrics of Schwarzschild, FLRW model for the flat space and Goedel. The gravitation mass of the photon is found in central gravity field in the Newtonian limit. Keywords: variational methods, light-like particle, canonical momenta and forces, Fermat’s principle I. INTRODUCTION One of postulates of general relativity is claim that in gravity field in the absence of other forces the word lines of the material particles and the light rays are geodesics. In differential geometry a geodesic line in case of not null path is defined as a curve, whose tangent vector is parallel propagated along itself [1]. The differential equations of geodesic can be found also by the variation method as a path of extremal length with the aid of the virtual displacements of coordinates xi on a small quantity ωi. When we add variation to coordinate of the material particle, the time-like interval slow changes, though that leaves it time-like. -
GEOMETRIC INTERPRETATIONS of CURVATURE Contents 1. Notation and Summation Conventions 1 2. Affine Connections 1 3. Parallel Tran
GEOMETRIC INTERPRETATIONS OF CURVATURE ZHENGQU WAN Abstract. This is an expository paper on geometric meaning of various kinds of curvature on a Riemann manifold. Contents 1. Notation and Summation Conventions 1 2. Affine Connections 1 3. Parallel Transport 3 4. Geodesics and the Exponential Map 4 5. Riemannian Curvature Tensor 5 6. Taylor Expansion of the Metric in Normal Coordinates and the Geometric Interpretation of Ricci and Scalar Curvature 9 Acknowledgments 13 References 13 1. Notation and Summation Conventions We assume knowledge of the basic theory of smooth manifolds, vector fields and tensors. We will assume all manifolds are smooth, i.e. C1, second countable and Hausdorff. All functions, curves and vector fields will also be smooth unless otherwise stated. Einstein summation convention will be adopted in this paper. In some cases, the index types on either side of an equation will not match and @ so a summation will be needed. The tangent vector field @xi induced by local i coordinates (x ) will be denoted as @i. 2. Affine Connections Riemann curvature is a measure of the noncommutativity of parallel transporta- tion of tangent vectors. To define parallel transport, we need the notion of affine connections. Definition 2.1. Let M be an n-dimensional manifold. An affine connection, or connection, is a map r : X(M) × X(M) ! X(M), where X(M) denotes the space of smooth vector fields, such that for vector fields V1;V2; V; W1;W2 2 X(M) and function f : M! R, (1) r(fV1 + V2;W ) = fr(V1;W ) + r(V2;W ), (2) r(V; aW1 + W2) = ar(V; W1) + r(V; W2), for all a 2 R. -
Differential Geometry Lecture 17: Geodesics and the Exponential
Differential geometry Lecture 17: Geodesics and the exponential map David Lindemann University of Hamburg Department of Mathematics Analysis and Differential Geometry & RTG 1670 3. July 2020 David Lindemann DG lecture 17 3. July 2020 1 / 44 1 Geodesics 2 The exponential map 3 Geodesics as critical points of the energy functional 4 Riemannian normal coordinates 5 Some global Riemannian geometry David Lindemann DG lecture 17 3. July 2020 2 / 44 Recap of lecture 16: constructed covariant derivatives along curves defined parallel transport studied the relation between a given connection in the tangent bundle and its parallel transport maps introduced torsion tensor and metric connections, studied geometric interpretation defined the Levi-Civita connection of a pseudo-Riemannian manifold David Lindemann DG lecture 17 3. July 2020 3 / 44 Geodesics Recall the definition of the acceleration of a smooth curve n 00 n γ : I ! R , that is γ 2 Γγ (T R ). Question: Is there a coordinate-free analogue of this construc- tion involving connections? Answer: Yes, uses covariant derivative along curves. Definition Let M be a smooth manifold, r a connection in TM ! M, 0 and γ : I ! M a smooth curve. Then rγ0 γ 2 Γγ (TM) is called the acceleration of γ (with respect to r). Of particular interest is the case if the acceleration of a curve vanishes, that is if its velocity vector field is parallel: Definition A smooth curve γ : I ! M is called geodesic with respect to a 0 given connection r in TM ! M if rγ0 γ = 0. David Lindemann DG lecture 17 3.