Potential energy is defined as the energy difference between the energy of an object at a current position and the energy of the object at a reference position (generally, infinitely distant position) in a force field.
The gravitational potential energy of a combination of an object with mass M and another object with mass m separated by distance R is expressed by the following formula using the gravitational constant G.
The potential energy is zero when the distance between objects is infinite, and the negative energy increases as the distance decreases by gravity.
Because there can be no negative energy in the real space, potential energy should be considered as fictitious energy. Regarding potential energy as “energy debt” is easy to understand. Then what do objects borrow energy from? The answer is the vacuum space. Potential energy is the energy debt borrowed from “the vacuum energy bank”. An increase in the negative energy means an increase in the energy given by the vacuum space.
Therefore, the law of conservation of energy is established only when the vacuum energy is counted.
When an object is attracted to another object by gravity, a certain amount of energy is given to it from the vacuum space. Hence its energy debt increases by the amount given from the vacuum space, and its momentum energy increases then it accelerates.
On the contrary, when applying a force to an object and moving it against gravity, it returns a certain amount of energy to the vacuum space. Hence the energy debt decreases by the amount returned to the vacuum space, and its momentum energy decreases then it decelerates from the initial speed.
We say “potential energy increases” when the energy debt decreases, but we should say “potential energy decreases”.
Tehran, Iran (2014)
If unit vectors always scared you for some reason, this neat little trick from The story of i by Paul Nahin involving complex numbers is bound to be a solace.
It allows you find the tangential and radial components of acceleration through simple differentiation. How about that!
Have a good one!
** r = r(t), θ = θ(t)
Unprecedented footage from Costa Rica shows tiny tropical lizard (Water Anole) “breathing” from an air sac suspended atop their snouts—an apparent scuba tank that helps them stay submerged for extended periods.
As the lizards lie motionless underwater, bubbles can periodically be seen appearing above their snouts. The bubbles quickly expand in size, and then shrink. It may very well be a form of underwater respiration, in which oxygen is pulled from the recycled air bubble on the lizard’s head, though further research will be required to validate these visual observations.
Wormholes were first theorized in 1916, though that wasn’t what they were called at the time. While reviewing another physicist’s solution to the equations in Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity, Austrian physicist Ludwig Flamm realized another solution was possible. He described a “white hole,” a theoretical time reversal of a black hole. Entrances to both black and white holes could be connected by a space-time conduit.
In 1935, Einstein and physicist Nathan Rosen used the theory of general relativity to elaborate on the idea, proposing the existence of “bridges” through space-time. These bridges connect two different points in space-time, theoretically creating a shortcut that could reduce travel time and distance. The shortcuts came to be called Einstein-Rosen bridges, or wormholes.
Certain solutions of general relativity allow for the existence of wormholes where the mouth of each is a black hole. However, a naturally occurring black hole, formed by the collapse of a dying star, does not by itself create a wormhole.
Wormholes are consistent with the general theory of relativity, but whether wormholes actually exist remains to be seen.
A wormhole could connect extremely long distances such as a billion light years or more, short distances such as a few meters, different universes, or different points in time
For a simplified notion of a wormhole, space can be visualized as a two-dimensional (2D) surface. In this case, a wormhole would appear as a hole in that surface, lead into a 3D tube (the inside surface of a cylinder), then re-emerge at another location on the 2D surface with a hole similar to the entrance. An actual wormhole would be analogous to this, but with the spatial dimensions raised by one. For example, instead of circular holes on a 2D plane, the entry and exit points could be visualized as spheres in 3D space.
Science fiction is filled with tales of traveling through wormholes. But the reality of such travel is more complicated, and not just because we’ve yet to spot one.
The first problem is size. Primordial wormholes are predicted to exist on microscopic levels, about 10–33 centimeters. However, as the universe expands, it is possible that some may have been stretched to larger sizes.
Another problem comes from stability. The predicted Einstein-Rosen wormholes would be useless for travel because they collapse quickly.
“You would need some very exotic type of matter in order to stabilize a wormhole,” said Hsu, “and it’s not clear whether such matter exists in the universe.”
But more recent research found that a wormhole containing “exotic” matter could stay open and unchanging for longer periods of time.
Exotic matter, which should not be confused with dark matter or antimatter, contains negative energy density and a large negative pressure. Such matter has only been seen in the behavior of certain vacuum states as part of quantum field theory.
If a wormhole contained sufficient exotic matter, whether naturally occurring or artificially added, it could theoretically be used as a method of sending information or travelers through space. Unfortunately, human journeys through the space tunnels may be challenging.
Wormholes may not only connect two separate regions within the universe, they could also connect two different universes. Similarly, some scientists have conjectured that if one mouth of a wormhole is moved in a specific manner, it could allow for time travel.
Although adding exotic matter to a wormhole might stabilize it to the point that human passengers could travel safely through it, there is still the possibility that the addition of “regular” matter would be sufficient to destabilize the portal.
Today’s technology is insufficient to enlarge or stabilize wormholes, even if they could be found. However, scientists continue to explore the concept as a method of space travel with the hope that technology will eventually be able to utilize them.
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Hi guys, I made an instagram with images of space (nebulae, galaxies, etc) @wonders_of_the_cosmos | Twitter: @wotcosmos
あけましておめでとうございます
I’m sorry for the lack of posts recently, I promise I didn’t forget about this blog.
I hope you all find this useful. I formatted the post this way so you can see the phonetic guide. Let me know if it is hard to read; I can upload it again without the guide.
Saint Veronica with the Veil (Original piece by Mattia Preti c.1655-1660) Touched by Clayshaper