\texttt{GeodesicViewer} -- a tool for exploring geodesics in the theory of relativity (Q615069)

The authors develop a software tool, named \texttt{GeodesicViewer}, which allows to illustrate the behavior of light-like and time-like geodesics in four-dimensional Lorentzian space-times. The visualization of each geodesic is realized either as a three-dimensional trajectory in pseudo-Cartesian coordinates by using an OpenGL environment (\url{http://www.opengl.org/}) or as a two-dimensional mutual-coordinate-relation diagram by using Qwt widgets (\url{http://qwt.sourceforge.net/}). Visualizations in several user-defined representations are also possible. The graphical user interface of the \texttt{GeodesicViewer} allows to modify interactively all parameters of a space-time as well as the initial conditions of the geodesics. The usability of this software tool is demonstrated by means of several examples in the Schwarz\-schild, Kerr and Morris-Thorpe space-times.