Chicago
Astronomical
Society
Astronomical
Society
A Singular Approach
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A Singular Approach -- Dynamics is the study of how things move in space and time, whereas geometry is space and time itself, the canvas on which dynamics unfolds. But in Einstein's general theory of relativity, geometry itself becomes dynamic: the canvas is an active part of the picture! Where gravity is strong enough, direction and duration have only local meaning and depend on where you are and how you are moving. One of the few general relativity problems we can solve exactly is the Schwarzschild metric, representing an ideal eternal black hole. The sky that you would see when falling into such a black hole, or when orbiting it at a not-too-safe distance, or during a fatal one-way infall, is both surprising and instructive. Dr. Burton will use this visual example to talk about bad coordinates (like a compass rose at the north pole) and bad geometry (like a contour map of an overhanging cliff) and show how each plays a role in our understanding of extreme spacetime. He will then talk a little bit about real-world black holes -- their birth, their possible death, and their relevance to the ultimate fate of life, the universe and everything. |