Related papers: Lifting General Relativity to Observer Space
The notion of relativistic observer is confronted with Naveira's classification of (pseudo-)Riemannian almost-product structures on space-time manifolds. Some physical properties and their geometrical counterparts are shortly discussed.
There is significant recent work on coupling matter to Newton-Cartan spacetimes with the aim of investigating certain condensed matter phenomena. To this end, one needs to have a completely general spacetime consistent with local…
We address the problem of observables in generally invariant spacetime theories such as Einstein's general relativity. Using the refined notion of an event as a ``point-coincidence'' between scalar fields that completely characterise a…
We introduce an analogue of the theory of length spaces into the setting of Lorentzian geometry and causality theory. The r\^ole of the metric is taken over by the time separation function, in terms of which all basic notions are…
We reformulate the general theory of relativity in the language of Riemann-Cartan geometry. We start from the assumption that the space-time can be described as a non-Riemannian manifold, which, in addition to the metric field, is endowed…
The concept of an observer and their associated rest space is defined in a pre-metric (i.e., projective-geometric) context that relates to time+space decompositions of the tangent bundle to space-time. The transformation from one observer…
Since the appearance of General Relativity, its intrinsec general covariance has been very often misinterpreted as implying that physically meaningful quantitities (and conclusions extracted from the theory) have to be absolutely…
We consider the equivalence problem for cosmological models in four-dimensional gravity theories. A cosmological model is considered as a triple $(M, {\bf g},{\bf u})$ consisting of a spacetime $(M, {\bf g})$ and a preferred normalized…
"The last remnant of physical objectivity of space-time" is disclosed, beyond the Leibniz equivalence, in the case of a continuous family of spatially non-compact models of general relativity. The {\it physical individuation} of…
Everyday experience with centrifugal forces has always guided thinking on the close relationship between gravitational forces and accelerated systems of reference. Once spatial gravitational forces and accelerations are introduced into…
Observer-invariance is regarded as a minimum requirement for an appropriate definition and derived systematically from a spacetime setting, where observer-invariance is a special case of a covariance principle and covered by Ricci-calculus.…
We discuss the distinction between the notion of partial observable and the notion of complete observable. Mixing up the two is frequently a source of confusion. The distinction bears on several issues related to observability, such as (i)…
The theory of gravitational lensing is reviewed from a spacetime perspective, without quasi-Newtonian approximations. More precisely, the review covers all aspects of gravitational lensing where light propagation is described in terms of…
We develop a generic spacetime model in General Relativity which can be used to build any gravitational model within General Relativity. The generic model uses two types of assumptions: (a) Geometric assumptions additional to the inherent…
Some of the most outstanding questions in the field of gravitation and geometry remain unsolved as a result of our limited understanding of the global structure of the spacetime geometry and the role played by global spacetime…
We describe conditions under which a spacetime connection and a scaled Lorentzian metric define natural symplectic and Poisson structures on the tangent bundle of the Einstein spacetime.
In both quantum mechanics and relativity theory, the concept of the observer plays a critical role. However, there is no consensus on the definition of observer in these theories. Following Einstein's thought experiments, one could ask:…
We describe a geometrical way to unify gravity with the other natural forces by adding fermionic Lorentz scalar variables, characterising attribute, or property, to space-time location. [With five such properties one can accommodate all…
We show how an observer could measure the non-local holonomy variables that parametrise the flat Lorentzian 3d manifolds arising as spacetimes in (2+1)-gravity. We consider an observer who emits lightrays that return to him at a later time…
In the Ashtekar-Barbero formulation of canonical general relativity based on an SU(2) connection, Lorentz covariance is a subtle issue which has been the focus of some debate. Here we present a Lorentz covariant formulation generalising the…