Motion of extended bodies in curved spacetimes: swimming and other possible effects

• Grant number: 15/10373-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: August 01, 2015
• End date: February 28, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Elementary Particle Physics and Fields
• Principal Investigator: George Emanuel Avraam Matsas
• Grantee: Rodrigo Andrade e Silva
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física Teórica (IFT). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 13/09357-9 - Physics and geometry of spacetime, AP.TEM

Abstract

This Master's project aims at analyzing and possibly contributing to the topic of motion of extended bodies in curved spacetimes. Particularly, we are interested in the swimming effect in curved spacetimes, by which an articulated, free extended body can propel itself through empty space by performing ciclic deformations. Although this effect already appears in the context of Newtonian gravity, relativistic effects can contribute in peculiar ways. Our goal is to apply an explicit covariant formalism in order to analyze these contributions, which differs drastically from the approach employed in the literature. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ANDRADE E SILVA, RODRIGO; MATSAS, GEORGE E. A.; VANZELLA, DANIEL A. T.. Rescuing the concept of swimming in curved spacetime. Physical Review D, v. 94, n. 12, DEC 22 2016. (15/22482-2, 13/12165-4, 15/10373-4)

ANDRADE E SILVA, RODRIGO; MATSAS, GEORGE E. A.; VANZELLA, DANIEL A. T.. Rescuing the concept of swimming in curved spacetime. PHYSICAL REVIEW D, v. 94, n. 12, p. 6-pg., 2016-12-22. (15/22482-2, 13/12165-4, 15/10373-4)