Comparison of electromagnetic and gravitational radiation: What we can learn about each from the other

We compare the nature of electromagnetic fields and gravitational fields in linearized general relativity. We carry out this comparison both mathematically and visually. In particular, the "lines of force" visualizations of electromagnetism are contrasted with the recently introduced tende...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Price, Richard H. (Author), Belcher, John Winston (Contributor), Nichols, David A. (Author)
Other Authors: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics (Contributor)
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: American Institute of Physics for the American Association of Physics Teachers, 2014-07-11T16:16:34Z.
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Online Access:Get fulltext
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100 1 0 |a Price, Richard H.  |e author 
100 1 0 |a Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics  |e contributor 
100 1 0 |a Belcher, John Winston  |e contributor 
700 1 0 |a Belcher, John Winston  |e author 
700 1 0 |a Nichols, David A.  |e author 
245 0 0 |a Comparison of electromagnetic and gravitational radiation: What we can learn about each from the other 
260 |b American Institute of Physics for the American Association of Physics Teachers,   |c 2014-07-11T16:16:34Z. 
856 |z Get fulltext  |u http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/88272 
520 |a We compare the nature of electromagnetic fields and gravitational fields in linearized general relativity. We carry out this comparison both mathematically and visually. In particular, the "lines of force" visualizations of electromagnetism are contrasted with the recently introduced tendex/vortex eigenline technique for visualizing gravitational fields. Specific solutions, visualizations, and comparisons are given for an oscillating point quadrupole source. Among the similarities illustrated are the quasistatic nature of the near fields, the transverse 1/r nature of the far fields, and the interesting intermediate field structures connecting these two limiting forms. Among the differences illustrated are the meaning of field line motion and of the flow of energy. 
546 |a en_US 
655 7 |a Article 
773 |t American Journal of Physics