From Elastic Continua to Space-time

Abstract

Since the early days of the theory of electromagnetism and of gravity the idea of space, then space-time, as a sort of physical continuum hovered the scientific community. Actually general relativity shows the strong similarity that exists between the geometrical properties of space-time and the ones of a strained elastic continuum. The bridge between geometry and the elastic potential, as well in three as in three plus one dimensions, is the strain tensor, read as the non-trivial part of the metric tensor. On the basis of this remark and exploiting appropriate multidimensional embeddings, it is possible to build a full theory of space-time, allowing to account for the accelerated expansion of the universe. How this can be obtained is the content of the paper. The theory fits the cosmic accelerated expansion data from type Ia supernovae better than the Lambda-CDM model.

Proceedings of 'Invisible Universe International Conference', Paris, June 29- July 3, 2009

References in corpus (1)

• A tensor theory of space-time as a strained material continuum

Cited by in corpus (3)

• Analogy of space-time as an elastic medium, estimation creep coefficient of space from MOND theory, gravitational lensing and via time data from the GPS effect, discussion of the results for dark matter and Einstein's field equation
• Some geometrical aspects of gravitational waves using continuum mechanics analogy: State of the art and potential consequences
• A Cosmological Bragg Law: Interpreting the CMB as a Diffractogram of Foliated Spacetime