Search results for "theory of relativity"
showing 10 items of 61 documents
Empiricism and Relationism Intertwined: Hume and Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity
2016
Einstein acknowledged that his reading of Hume influenced the development of his special theory of relativity. In this article, I juxtapose Hume’s philosophy with Einstein’s philosophical analysis related to his special relativity. I argue that there are two common points to be found in their writings, namely an empiricist theory of ideas and concepts, and a relationist ontology regarding space and time. The main thesis of this article is that these two points are intertwined in Hume and Einstein.
Constraint preserving boundary conditions for the Z4c formulation of general relativity
2010
We discuss high order absorbing constraint preserving boundary conditions for the Z4c formulation of general relativity coupled to the moving puncture family of gauges. We are primarily concerned with the constraint preservation and absorption properties of these conditions. In the frozen coefficient approximation, with an appropriate first order pseudo-differential reduction, we show that the constraint subsystem is boundary stable on a four dimensional compact manifold. We analyze the remainder of the initial boundary value problem for a spherical reduction of the Z4c formulation with a particular choice of the puncture gauge. Numerical evidence for the efficacy of the conditions is prese…
The initial boundary value problem for free-evolution formulations of General Relativity
2017
We consider the initial boundary value problem for free-evolution formulations of general relativity coupled to a parametrized family of coordinate conditions that includes both the moving puncture and harmonic gauges. We concentrate primarily on boundaries that are geometrically determined by the outermost normal observer to spacelike slices of the foliation. We present high-order-derivative boundary conditions for the gauge, constraint violating and gravitational wave degrees of freedom of the formulation. Second order derivative boundary conditions are presented in terms of the conformal variables used in numerical relativity simulations. Using Kreiss-Agranovich-Metivier theory we demons…
Search for Tensor, Vector, and Scalar Polarizations in the Stochastic Gravitational-Wave Background
2018
The detection of gravitational waves with Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo has enabled novel tests of general relativity, including direct study of the polarization of gravitational waves. While general relativity allows for only two tensor gravitational-wave polarizations, general metric theories can additionally predict two vector and two scalar polarizations. The polarization of gravitational waves is encoded in the spectral shape of the stochastic gravitational-wave background, formed by the superposition of cosmological and individually-unresolved astrophysical sources. Using data recorded by Advanced LIGO during its first observing run, we search for a stochastic background of generic…
Una propuesta sobre enseñanza de la relatividad en el bachillerato como motivación para el aprendizaje de la física
2007
Relativity is a very important part of modern physics. In this paper we analyze the teaching and learning of the theory of relativity in secondary education and we show some reasoned arguments against traditional methods to teach it. Finally, a didactic proposal for the teaching of relativity is presented; it comes as a conclusion that it is possible a suitable teaching of the principles of relative which should bring into the students a change in attitude, concepts and methodology.
Fibre Bundle for Spin and Charge in General Relativity
2000
The Lorentzian and spin structures of general relativity are shown to allow a natural extension, by means of which the set of possible electromagnetic bundles is linked to the topology and geometry of the underlying causal structure. Further, both the Dirac operator and the electromagnetic potential are obtainable from a single linear connection 1-form.
The body-mind problem from a personality relativity theory approach: (Relativity of personality)
2012
The body-mind problem is here posed fromthe General Factor of Personality Theory and mathematically presented as a relativity theory: 1. A two-level-invariant model; 2. The transformation equation between both levels. On a hand, the investigation of personality dynamicsas a consequenceof a stimulant drug provides a system of two coupled differential equations, which adapts to both biological (body) and psychological (mind)levels ofdescription. On the other hand, a system of two coupled partial differential equations is here deduced as the transformation model between the biological and psychological levels. Both models are presented and validated in this paper. The experimental design to va…
From subatomic to immense: About the possible influence of the Theory of Relativity and Quantum Mechanics in the fantastic
2015
The fantastic is based on three pillars: reality, the impossible and fear. Theoretical physics is a branch of science that has deeply studied reality, from the subatomic world to the immensity of outer space. In this article, we want to study how the Theory of Relativity and the Quantum Mechanics have influenced the configuration of the fantastic, and in addition, we want to verify if these branches of physics are capable of explaining certain fantastic phenomena.
The Relativity of Truth
2020
In this chapter, I discuss the relativity of truth and define the concept of viewpoint-relative truth. The relativity of truth is perhaps the strongest form of epistemological relativity that can used to deduce the relativity of knowledge and reality. One of the fundamental problems of epistemology is overcoming doubt, which is why I will introduce epistemology by presenting the problem of scepticism. After this, I discuss different theories of truth. The contextuality, or the dependency on context, of truth is focal to viewpoint relativism, and I build the definition of viewpoint-dependent truth upon it. As an example of relativism that utilises contextuality, I will present MacFarlane’s t…
Epistemic Relativity: An Experimental Approach to Physics
2019
The recent concept of relativistic positioning system (RPS) has opened the possibility of making Relativity the general standard frame in which to state any physical problem, theoretical or experimental. Because the velocity of propagation of the information is finite, epistemic relativity proposes to integrate the physicist as a truly component of every physical problem, taking into account explicitly what information, when and where, the physicist is able to know. This leads naturally to the concept of relativistic stereometric system (RSS), allowing to measure the intrinsic properties of physical systems. Together, RPSs and RSSs complete the notion of laboratory in general relativity, al…