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On the flatness of spacetime

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We have proven with mathematical rigor that spacetime in Schwarzschild metric is flat as measured by the Riemann curvature scalar. We have also shown that Einstein's field equation describes the equipotential surface, and the equation of a geodesic describes the trajectory of an object moving in a gravitational field. The curving of the equipotential and the trajectory should not be misunderstood as the curving of space and time. It has been pointed out that spacetime as defined in the Robertson‐Walker metric is mathematically curved, but such curving is not due to the existence of gravity, but due to two hypothetical postulations: (1) The existence of certain nonphysical extra dimension in addition to the three-dimensional physical space, and the assertion that the real physical space is a three-dimensional hypersphere embedded in the Euclidean hyperspace of higher dimension; (2) The existence of certain universal repulsion force that is supposed to be responsible for controlling the curvature of the universe. We have shown that even if we accept Einstein's hypothesis at its face value, the fine tuning of the density parameter with a relative tolerance of less than 10−58 attests to the flatness of the spacetime.

Keywords: Cosmology; Curved Spacetime; Density Parameter.; Flatness of Spacetime; General Relativity; Riemann Curvature

Document Type: Research Article

Affiliations: Department of Physics, Geology and Astronomy, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, 615 McCallie Avenue, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37343, USA

Publication date: 16 September 2014

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  • Physics Essays has been established as an international journal dedicated to theoretical and experimental aspects of fundamental problems in Physics and, generally, to the advancement of basic knowledge of Physics. The Journal's mandate is to publish rigorous and methodological examinations of past, current, and advanced concepts, methods and results in physics research. Physics Essays dedicates itself to the publication of stimulating exploratory, and original papers in a variety of physics disciplines, such as spectroscopy, quantum mechanics, particle physics, electromagnetic theory, astrophysics, space physics, mathematical methods in physics, plasma physics, philosophical aspects of physics, chemical physics, and relativity.
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