English

Torsion in the Classical Spacetime Context

History and Philosophy of Physics 2024-11-20 v1 General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology

Abstract

Teleparallel gravity, an empirically equivalent counterpart to General Relativity, represents the influence of gravity using torsional forces. It raises questions about theory interpretation and underdetermination. To better understand the torsional forces of Teleparallel gravity, we consider a context in which forces are better understood: classical spacetimes. We propose a method of incorporating torsion into the classical spacetime context that yields a classical theory of gravity with a closed temporal metric and spacetime torsion. We then prove a result analogous to the Trautman degeometrization theorem, that every model of Newton-Cartan theory gives rise, non-uniquely, to a model of this theory.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2304.11248,
  title  = {Torsion in the Classical Spacetime Context},
  author = {Helen Meskhidze and James Owen Weatherall},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2304.11248},
  year   = {2024}
}
R2 v1 2026-06-28T10:14:14.437Z