MG15 - Talk detail

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Einstein's field equations link the distribution of matter to the curvature of spacetime. Due to their complexity it is not feasible to discuss them at a mathematical level in high school or in undergraduate university education. With sector models (Zahn and Kraus 2014) we are developing an accessible approach to general relativity relying only on elementary mathematics and geometric insight. A sector model represents a 2D or 3D subspace of a 4D curved spacetime, the model being true to scale. It is created according to the description of curved spacetimes in the Regge calculus, where the spacetime is subdivided into small, uncurved sectors (Regge 1961). In this contribution we show the sector model of a three-dimensional spacelike slice of the curved spacetime of a neutron star. We show how to measure the curvature of the space using ruler and protractor and deduce from this the numerical value of the local matter density using a formulation of the field equations where the matter/energy density at a point can be easily computed from the sum of three measured curvature values. References: C Zahn and U Kraus 2014 Eur. J. Phys. 35 055020, Regge T 1961 General relativity without coordinates Il Nuovo Cimento 19 558–71

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