Newtonian Spacetime Structure in Light of the Equivalence Principle.

I argue that the best spacetime setting for Newtonian gravitation (NG) is the curved spacetime setting associated with geometrized Newtonian gravitation (GNG). Appreciation of the ‘Newtonian equivalence principle’ leads us to conclude that the gravitational field in NG itself is a gauge quantity, an...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:British Journal for the Philosophy of Science Vol. 65; no. 4; pp. 863 - 881
Autor principal: Knox, Eleanor
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: University of Chicago Press Dec2014
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Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
Descripción
Sumario:I argue that the best spacetime setting for Newtonian gravitation (NG) is the curved spacetime setting associated with geometrized Newtonian gravitation (GNG). Appreciation of the ‘Newtonian equivalence principle’ leads us to conclude that the gravitational field in NG itself is a gauge quantity, and that the freely falling frames are naturally identified with inertial frames. In this context, the spacetime structure of NG is represented not by the flat neo-Newtonian connection usually made explicit in formulations, but by the sum of the flat connection and the gravitational field.1 Introduction2 Newtonian Gravity: The Orthodox Approach3 Newtonian Gravity: Additional Symmetries4 Cosmological Considerations5 A Newtonian Equivalence Principle: Inertial Frames in Newtonian Gravitation6 Theory Equivalence?7 Conclusion