| The Mechanics of the Space-Time Fabric of Space Mark F. Horstemeyer1; 1LIBERTY UNIVERSITY, Virgina, United States; PAPER: 445/Physical/Regular (Oral) SCHEDULED: 15:15/Sat. 26 Oct. 2019/Aphrodite B (100/Gr. F) ABSTRACT: An elastic constitutive model of gravity where we identify physical space with the mid-hypersurface of an elastic hyperplate called the “cosmic fabric” and spacetime with the fabric’s world volume. Using a Lagrangian formulation, we show that the fabric’s behavior as derived from Hooke’s Law is analogous to that of spacetime per the Field Equations of General Relativity (GR). The study is conducted in the limit of small strains, or analogously, in the limit of weak and nearly static gravitational fields. The Fabric’s Lagrangian outside of inclusions is shown to have the same form as the Einstein–Hilbert Lagrangian for free space. Properties of the fabric such as strain, stress, vibrations and elastic moduli are related to properties of gravity and space, such as the gravitational potential, gravitational acceleration, gravitational waves and the energy density of free space. By introducing a mechanical analogy of GR, we enable the application of Solid Mechanics tools to address problems in Cosmology. Finally, because the cosmos acts as a continuum body with external tractions according to Cauchy’s Law, the existence of God is proven as exemplified by the tractions on the outside surface of the cosmos. |
