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Old 15-03-2010, 09:18 PM
Nesti (Mark)
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Join Date: May 2009
Location: Perth, Australia
Posts: 799
Quote:
Originally Posted by sjastro View Post
There is no such thing as the speed of a metric. The components of the metric tensor are the 10 gravitational potentials that define GR as a theory of gravity (Newtonian gravity has only one potential). If the metric tensor components are time dependent, the field strength changes and gravitational radiation is emitted. What is observed are gravitational waves as a perturbation of Minkowski (flat) space-time. The gravitational potentials of the perturbed metric are propogated as waves at the speed of light.
A gravitational wave is the rippling of flat space-time, the metric simply describes the geometry of the rippled space-time.
Since the speed of the gravitational wave equals the speed of light both are invariant in all frames of references.

Regards

Steven

The speed of a gravitational wave is the physical activity, the speed at which the metric MAY change is the result of the waves activity...we're talking about two aspects of the same subject matter...what's your point?
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