Related papers: Investigating total collisions of the Newtonian N-…
We discuss the total collision singularities of the gravitational N-body problem on shape space. Shape space is the relational configuration space of the system obtained by quotienting ordinary configuration space with respect to the…
We generalize the Newtonian n-body problem to spaces of curvature k=constant, and study the motion in the 2-dimensional case. For k>0, the equations of motion encounter non-collision singularities, which occur when two bodies are antipodal.…
In a general setting of a Hamiltonian system with two degrees of freedom and assuming some properties for the undergoing potential, we study the dynamics close and tending to a singularity of the system which in models of $N$-body problems…
Relational formulations of classical mechanics and gravity have been developed by Julian Barbour and collaborators. Crucial to these formulations is the notion of shape space. We indicate here that the metric structure of shape space allows…
In the standard approach to studying cosmological structure formation, the overall expansion of the Universe is assumed to be homogeneous, with the gravitational effect of inhomogeneities encoded entirely in a Newtonian potential. A topic…
Although rare, collisions of two or more bodies in the N-body problem are apparent obstacles at which Newton's Law of Gravity ceases to make sense. Without understanding the nature of collisions, a complete understanding of the N-body…
Relational particle dynamics include the dynamics of pure shape and cases in which absolute scale or absolute rotation are additionally meaningful. These are interesting as regards the absolute versus relative motion debate as well as…
A new approach to the dynamics of the universe based on work by O Murchadha, Foster, Anderson and the author is presented. The only kinematics presupposed is the spatial geometry needed to define configuration spaces in purely relational…
In the $n$-body problem, when bodies tend to a total collision, then its normalized shape curve converges to the set of normalized central configurations, which has $SO(3)$ symmetry in the planar case. This leaves a possibility that the…
We provide the differential equations that generalize the Newtonian N-body problem of celestial mechanics to spaces of constant Gaussian curvature, k, for all k real. In previous studies, the equations of motion made sense only for k…
Within a cosmological context, we study the behaviour of collisionless particles in the weak field approximation to General Relativity, allowing for large gradients of the fields and relativistic velocities for the particles. We consider a…
Relational particle models are of value in the absolute versus relative motion debate. They are also analogous to the dynamical formulation of general relativity, and as such are useful for investigating conceptual strategies proposed for…
The existence and nature of singularities in locally spatially homogeneous solutions of the Einstein equations coupled to various phenomenological matter models is investigated. It is shown that, under certain reasonable assumptions on the…
The equivalence class of absolute configurations of a system under the group of similarity transformations $Sim(3)$ is called the shape of the system. The $Sim(3)$ invariant Lagrangian of the modified Newtonian theory ensures the existence…
An approach is developed to find approximate solutions to the classical Newtonian problem of N bodies. Sets of N gravitating bodies having spherically symmetric mass distributions, small angular velocities (< 1 rad/s) and bounded position…
On large-scales, comparable to the horizon, the observable clustering properties of galaxies are affected by various general relativistic effects. To calculate these effects one needs to consistently solve for the metric, densities and…
We study the consequences of the $f(R/\Box)$ gravity models for the Solar system and the large scale structure of the universe. The spherically symmetric solutions can be used to obtain bounds on the constant and the linear parts of the…
The gravitational interaction is scale-free in both Newtonian gravity and general theory of relativity. The concept of self-similarity arises from this nature. Self-similar solutions reproduce themselves as the scale changes. This property…
The concept of a physical space, which actualizes Euclidean geometry, is not confined to the statics of solids but extensible to the phenomena where Newtonian mechanics is valid, defining its concept of time. The laws of propagation of…
We propose a geometric framework where dispersion relations are viewed as parametric surfaces in energy-momentum space. Within this picture, the presence and type of critical points of the surface emerge as clear geometric signatures of…