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Physics Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [visualization]

180 questions
31
votes
5 answers

How do we know what the Milky Way looks like?

There is no way (with the current technology) that we could send a probe outside the Milky Way in a reasonable amount of time. So, how do we know what the Milky Way looks like, and what factors do scientists consider to generate an image of it?
Tdonut
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29
votes
4 answers

Why are magnetic field lines imaginary?

There are many sources online which say that magnetic field lines are imaginary such as Toppr, Vedantu and CBSE Academic. I do know that magnetic fields are real and do exist. But when can we see magnetic field lines using Magnetic Field Viewing…
currentphysics
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22
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7 answers

Better explanation of the common general relativity illustration (stretched sheet of fabric)

I've seen many science popularisation documentaries and read few books (obviously not being scientist myself). I am able to process and understand basic ideas behind most of these. However for general relativity there is this one illustration, which…
Pavel Horal
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21
votes
2 answers

Why is the universe map shaped like an oval?

I understand that the Mollweide projection is used to show the map of the universe. Although I understand how this projection can be interesting for Earth where most populated (and of interest) areas are not at polar latitudes, I imagine that in…
Elzo Valugi
17
votes
4 answers

How do you visualize a quantized electromagnetic field?

Quantizing the EM field gives you the standard sum of all quantum harmonic oscillators as given by this hamiltonian: $$ \hat{H} = \sum_k \hbar\omega_k( \hat{a}^\dagger_k \hat{a}_k + 1/2) $$ Conceptually it makes most sense when discussing a cavity,…
mactud
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14
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3 answers

Visualizing GR spacetime distortion in 1+1D spacetime instead of 2D space

Usually spacetime distortion due to mass in GR is visualized as a rubber sheet distorted under some massive object, like this: source or as shown in this link. But what has always bothered me is that this description doesn't take into account time.…
Ruslan
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11
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3 answers

Are there actual correct representations of curved spacetime?

2d spacetime diagrams correctly visualize how space and time relate, and change when you change referential. The problem is that, when we see representations of curved spacetime, it only shows a curvature in 2 space dimensions, and I'm not even sure…
Pierre Carlier
  • 239
11
votes
4 answers

Visualizing A Light Wave

I'm new to the forum. So I'm not sure how a question like this will be received, but it's a sincere question that I have wonder about often. Let's say on a nice summer evening I shine a red laser across my backyard. What if I could freeze time and…
Lambda
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10
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1 answer

Commutator of Lorentz boost generators : visual interpretation

I have always struggled to visualize the correctness of the commutation relation for the generators of the boost in the Lorentz group. We have $$[K_i,K_j] = i \epsilon_{ijk} L_k$$ I fail to picture this. For definiteness' sake, let's take a point…
Mathusalem
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10
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2 answers

How can one imagine curled up dimensions?

Actually I'm learning String Theory, and one of its proposals is that there are actually 25+1 dimensions of which only 3+1 are visible to us-- and the remaining are curled up. However, superstring theory says that there are 9+1 dimensions; and M…
funtime
  • 293
9
votes
3 answers

Why is Spacetime described as flat even though we live in 3 dimensions of space?

I’ve always heard and seen diagrams that show spacetime as being “flat” or in 2 dimensions with curvature. How does this correspond to the 3 spacial dimensions that we perceive to exist in?
Jude Kratzer
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9
votes
0 answers

Is it possible to simulate QFT to make pretty animations?

Is it possible to simulate QFT and make animations of it? For example, it is relatively straightforward to simulate something like the Schrödinger equation or the Klein–Gordon equation if you don't worry too much about accuracy and just want to look…
AccidentalTaylorExpansion
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9
votes
3 answers

Is imagining 10 dimension video by Rob Bryanton has any invalid/wrong information?

I just watched this youtube video by Rob Bryanton and am wondering that is there anything invalid/wrong in term of real physics. I search for Rob Bryanton and it look like he has not-so-good reputation, for example here here and here His video…
wizzup
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9
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2 answers

Visualizing gravity in 3D

We've all seen the depiction of gravity bending space downwards, and so attracting objects into the dent it creates, cf. e.g. this and this Phys.SE posts. That's intuitive and makes a lot of sense, except it uses one plane to visualize the…
ta3920
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9
votes
1 answer

Why is it common to plot $xG(x,Q^2)$ and not simply $G(x,Q^2)$?

I'm trying to understand the modern description of high-energy scattering processes involving hadrons in the initial states. The phenomenological parton distributions functions play a central role, and as I understand it at the moment, if we are…
David M. R.
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