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Isotropic Coordinates
In the theory of Lorentzian manifolds, spherically symmetric spacetimes admit a family of ''nested round spheres''. There are several different types of coordinate chart which are ''adapted'' to this family of nested spheres; the best known is the Schwarzschild chart, but the isotropic chart is also often useful. The defining characteristic of an isotropic chart is that its radial coordinate (which is different from the radial coordinate of a Schwarzschild chart) is defined so that light cones appear ''round''. This means that (except in the trivial case of a locally flat manifold), the angular isotropic coordinates do not faithfully represent distances within the nested spheres, nor does the radial coordinate faithfully represent radial distances. On the other hand, angles in the constant time hyperslices are represented without distortion, hence the name of the chart. Isotropic charts are most often applied to static spherically symmetric spacetimes in metric theories of gravi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lorentzian Manifold
In differential geometry, a pseudo-Riemannian manifold, also called a semi-Riemannian manifold, is a differentiable manifold with a metric tensor that is everywhere nondegenerate. This is a generalization of a Riemannian manifold in which the requirement of positive-definiteness is relaxed. Every tangent space of a pseudo-Riemannian manifold is a pseudo-Euclidean vector space. A special case used in general relativity is a four-dimensional Lorentzian manifold for modeling spacetime, where tangent vectors can be classified as timelike, null, and spacelike. Introduction Manifolds In differential geometry, a differentiable manifold is a space which is locally similar to a Euclidean space. In an ''n''-dimensional Euclidean space any point can be specified by ''n'' real numbers. These are called the coordinates of the point. An ''n''-dimensional differentiable manifold is a generalisation of ''n''-dimensional Euclidean space. In a manifold it may only be possible to de ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Irrotational
In vector calculus, a conservative vector field is a vector field that is the gradient of some function. A conservative vector field has the property that its line integral is path independent; the choice of any path between two points does not change the value of the line integral. Path independence of the line integral is equivalent to the vector field under the line integral being conservative. A conservative vector field is also irrotational; in three dimensions, this means that it has vanishing curl. An irrotational vector field is necessarily conservative provided that the domain is simply connected. Conservative vector fields appear naturally in mechanics: They are vector fields representing forces of physical systems in which energy is conserved. For a conservative system, the work done in moving along a path in a configuration space depends on only the endpoints of the path, so it is possible to define potential energy that is independent of the actual path taken. Info ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Frame Fields In General Relativity
A frame field in general relativity (also called a tetrad or vierbein) is a set of four pointwise-orthonormal vector fields, one timelike and three spacelike, defined on a Lorentzian manifold that is physically interpreted as a model of spacetime. The timelike unit vector field is often denoted by \vec_0 and the three spacelike unit vector fields by \vec_1, \vec_2, \, \vec_3. All tensorial quantities defined on the manifold can be expressed using the frame field and its dual coframe field. Frame were introduced into general relativity by Albert Einstein in 1928 and by Hermann Weyl in 1929. Hermann Weyl "Elektron und Gravitation I", ''Zeitschrift Physik'', 56, p330–352, 1929. The index notation for tetrads is explained in tetrad (index notation). Physical interpretation Frame fields of a Lorentzian manifold always correspond to a family of ideal observers immersed in the given spacetime; the integral curves of the timelike unit vector field are the worldlines of these obs ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Static Spherically Symmetric Perfect Fluid
In metric theories of gravitation, particularly general relativity, a static spherically symmetric perfect fluid solution (a term which is often abbreviated as ssspf) is a spacetime equipped with suitable tensor fields which models a static round ball of a fluid with isotropic pressure. Such solutions are often used as idealized models of stars, especially compact objects such as white dwarfs and especially neutron stars. In general relativity, a model of an ''isolated'' star (or other fluid ball) generally consists of a fluid-filled interior region, which is technically a perfect fluid solution of the Einstein field equation, and an exterior region, which is an asymptotically flat vacuum solution. These two pieces must be carefully ''matched'' across the ''world sheet'' of a spherical surface, the ''surface of zero pressure''. (There are various mathematical criteria called matching conditions for checking that the required matching has been successfully achieved.) Sim ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Coframe Fields In General Relativity
A frame field in general relativity (also called a tetrad or vierbein) is a set of four pointwise-orthonormal vector fields, one timelike vector, timelike and three spacelike vector, spacelike, defined on a Lorentzian manifold that is physically interpreted as a model of spacetime. The timelike unit vector field is often denoted by \vec_0 and the three spacelike unit vector fields by \vec_1, \vec_2, \, \vec_3. All tensorial quantities defined on the manifold can be expressed using the frame field and its duality (mathematics), dual coframe field. Frame were introduced into general relativity by Albert Einstein in 1928 and by Hermann Weyl in 1929.Hermann Weyl "Elektron und Gravitation I", ''Zeitschrift Physik'', 56, p330–352, 1929. The index notation for tetrads is explained in tetrad (index notation). Physical interpretation Frame fields of a Lorentzian manifold always correspond to a family of ideal observers immersed in the given spacetime; the integral curves of the timelik ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Metric Theory Of Gravitation
In general relativity, the metric tensor (in this context often abbreviated to simply the metric) is the fundamental object of study. It may loosely be thought of as a generalization of the gravitational potential of Newtonian gravitation. The metric captures all the geometric and causal structure of spacetime, being used to define notions such as time, distance, volume, curvature, angle, and separation of the future and the past. Notation and conventions Throughout this article we work with a metric signature that is mostly positive (); see sign convention. The gravitation constant G will be kept explicit. This article employs the Einstein summation convention, where repeated indices are automatically summed over. Definition Mathematically, spacetime is represented by a four-dimensional differentiable manifold M and the metric tensor is given as a covariant, second-degree, symmetric tensor on M, conventionally denoted by g. Moreover, the metric is required to be nondegener ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ansatz
In physics and mathematics, an ansatz (; , meaning: "initial placement of a tool at a work piece", plural Ansätze ; ) is an educated guess or an additional assumption made to help solve a problem, and which may later be verified to be part of the solution by its results. Use An ansatz is the establishment of the starting equation(s), the theorem(s), or the value(s) describing a mathematical or physical problem or solution. It typically provides an initial estimate or framework to the solution of a mathematical problem, and can also take into consideration the boundary conditions (in fact, an ansatz is sometimes thought of as a "trial answer" and an important technique in solving differential equations). After an ansatz, which constitutes nothing more than an assumption, has been established, the equations are solved more precisely for the general function of interest, which then constitutes a confirmation of the assumption. In essence, an ansatz makes assumptions about the form o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Euclidean Space
Euclidean space is the fundamental space of geometry, intended to represent physical space. Originally, that is, in Euclid's ''Elements'', it was the three-dimensional space of Euclidean geometry, but in modern mathematics there are Euclidean spaces of any positive integer dimension, including the three-dimensional space and the '' Euclidean plane'' (dimension two). The qualifier "Euclidean" is used to distinguish Euclidean spaces from other spaces that were later considered in physics and modern mathematics. Ancient Greek geometers introduced Euclidean space for modeling the physical space. Their work was collected by the ancient Greek mathematician Euclid in his ''Elements'', with the great innovation of '' proving'' all properties of the space as theorems, by starting from a few fundamental properties, called ''postulates'', which either were considered as evident (for example, there is exactly one straight line passing through two points), or seemed impossible to prov ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Congruence (general Relativity)
In general relativity, a congruence (more properly, a congruence of curves) is the set of integral curves of a (nowhere vanishing) vector field in a four-dimensional Lorentzian manifold which is interpreted physically as a model of spacetime. Often this manifold will be taken to be an exact or approximate solution to the Einstein field equation. Types of congruences Congruences generated by nowhere vanishing timelike, null, or spacelike vector fields are called ''timelike'', ''null'', or ''spacelike'' respectively. A congruence is called a '' geodesic congruence'' if it admits a tangent vector field \vec with vanishing covariant derivative, \nabla_ \vec = 0. Relation with vector fields The integral curves of the vector field are a family of ''non-intersecting'' parameterized curves which fill up the spacetime. The congruence consists of the curves themselves, without reference to a particular parameterization. Many distinct vector fields can give rise to the ''same'' congru ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Congruence (general Relativity)
In general relativity, a congruence (more properly, a congruence of curves) is the set of integral curves of a (nowhere vanishing) vector field in a four-dimensional Lorentzian manifold which is interpreted physically as a model of spacetime. Often this manifold will be taken to be an exact or approximate solution to the Einstein field equation. Types of congruences Congruences generated by nowhere vanishing timelike, null, or spacelike vector fields are called ''timelike'', ''null'', or ''spacelike'' respectively. A congruence is called a '' geodesic congruence'' if it admits a tangent vector field \vec with vanishing covariant derivative, \nabla_ \vec = 0. Relation with vector fields The integral curves of the vector field are a family of ''non-intersecting'' parameterized curves which fill up the spacetime. The congruence consists of the curves themselves, without reference to a particular parameterization. Many distinct vector fields can give rise to the ''same'' congru ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Killing Vector Field
In mathematics, a Killing vector field (often called a Killing field), named after Wilhelm Killing, is a vector field on a Riemannian manifold (or pseudo-Riemannian manifold) that preserves the metric tensor, metric. Killing fields are the Lie group#The Lie algebra associated to a Lie group, infinitesimal generators of isometry, isometries; that is, flow (geometry), flows generated by Killing fields are Isometry (Riemannian geometry), continuous isometries of the manifold. More simply, the flow generates a symmetry, in the sense that moving each point of an object the same distance in the direction of the Killing vector will not distort distances on the object. Definition Specifically, a vector field ''X'' is a Killing field if the Lie derivative with respect to ''X'' of the metric ''g'' vanishes: :\mathcal_ g = 0 \,. In terms of the Levi-Civita connection, this is :g\left(\nabla_Y X, Z\right) + g\left(Y, \nabla_Z X\right) = 0 \, for all vectors ''Y'' and ''Z''. In local c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Spherically Symmetric Spacetime
In physics, spherically symmetric spacetimes are commonly used to obtain analytic and numerical solutions to Einstein's field equations in the presence of radially moving matter or energy. Because spherically symmetric spacetimes are by definition irrotational, they are not realistic models of black holes in nature. However, their metrics are considerably simpler than those of rotating spacetimes, making them much easier to analyze. Spherically symmetric models are not entirely inappropriate: many of them have Penrose diagrams similar to those of rotating spacetimes, and these typically have qualitative features (such as Cauchy horizons) that are unaffected by rotation. One such application is the study of mass inflation due to counter-moving streams of infalling matter in the interior of a black hole. Formal definition A spherically symmetric spacetime is a spacetime whose isometry group contains a subgroup which is isomorphic to the rotation group SO(3) and the orbits of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
