11
$\begingroup$

If spacetime can bend due to gravity, could too much energy in one point make it collapse and then expand again like the Big Bang?

Can spacetime bend due to gravity?

$\endgroup$
4
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ Gravity is an effect of curved space-time. It is not the cause of curvature. Mass curves space-time. Too much mass can curve it so much it collapses. Nobody knows what caused the big bang. $\endgroup$ Commented Nov 13 at 13:28
  • 3
    $\begingroup$ Can spacetime bend due to gravity? General Relativity is a nonlinear theory so gravity gravitates. $\endgroup$ Commented Nov 13 at 17:27
  • $\begingroup$ Comments have been moved to chat; please do not continue the discussion here. Before posting a comment below this one, please review the purposes of comments. Comments that do not request clarification or suggest improvements usually belong as an answer, on Physics Meta, or in Physics Chat. Comments continuing discussion may be removed. $\endgroup$ Commented Nov 14 at 16:14
  • $\begingroup$ Nice job writing your question! Glad to see it worked out. $\endgroup$ Commented Nov 14 at 16:19

1 Answer 1

14
$\begingroup$

The answer to your question (2) is that yes in principle spacetime can bend due to gravity, and an example of this would be a geon. In general relativity mass and energy are treated as equivalent so if you concentrate a lot of energy in one place the will curve spacetime just like mass does. You can think of a geon as a gravitational wave that has so much energy it curves spacetime into an object that has a mass but contains nothing except gravitational energy. However we don't know if geons are stable, as it's possible the energy would leak out of them and they would in effect evaporate.

However the answer to your question (1) is (probably) no. I would guess you are wondering if the Big Bang could be explained as some form of gravitational self energy, but the Big Bang geometry is completely different from a geon. I don't know of any way to create a Big Bang like geometry without matter or energy.

$\endgroup$
1
  • $\begingroup$ Comments have been moved to chat; please do not continue the discussion here. Before posting a comment below this one, please review the purposes of comments. Comments that do not request clarification or suggest improvements usually belong as an answer, on Physics Meta, or in Physics Chat. Comments continuing discussion may be removed. $\endgroup$ Commented Nov 15 at 14:35