Cartan's spiral staircase in physics and, in particular, in the gauge theory of dislocations

DOI10.1007/S10701-010-9440-4zbMATH Open1216.83043arXiv0911.2121OpenAlexW3102219769MaRDI QIDQ535642FDOQ535642

Authors: M. Lazar, Friedrich W. Hehl 

Publication date: 13 May 2011

Published in: Foundations of Physics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: In 1922, Cartan introduced in differential geometry, besides the Riemannian curvature, the new concept of torsion. He visualized a homogeneous and isotropic distribution of torsion in three dimensions (3d) by the "helical staircase", which he constructed by starting from a 3d Euclidean space and by defining a new connection via helical motions. We describe this geometric procedure in detail and define the corresponding connection and the torsion. The interdisciplinary nature of this subject is already evident from Cartan's discussion, since he argued - but never proved - that the helical staircase should correspond to a continuum with constant pressure and constant internal torque. We discuss where in physics the helical staircase is realized: (i) In the continuum mechanics of Cosserat media, (ii) in (fairly speculative) 3d theories of gravity, namely a) in 3d Einstein-Cartan gravity - this is Cartan's case of constant pressure and constant intrinsic torque - and b) in 3d Poincare gauge theory with the Mielke-Baekler Lagrangian, and, eventually, (iii) in the gauge field theory of dislocations of Lazar et al., as we prove for the first time by arranging a suitable distribution of screw dislocations. Our main emphasis is on the discussion of dislocation field theory.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/0911.2121

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zbMATH Keywords

Einstein-Cartan theorydifferential geometrydislocationsCosserat continuum3-dimensional theories of gravitationCartan's torsion

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

History of mathematics in the 20th century (01A60) Relativistic gravitational theories other than Einstein's, including asymmetric field theories (83D05) Analogues of general relativity in lower dimensions (83C80) Geometrodynamics and the holographic principle (83E05) History of relativity and gravitational theory (83-03)

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Cited In (15)

• A geometric formulation of Schaefer's theory of Cosserat solids
• Incompatibility-governed singularities in linear elasticity with dislocations
• On generalized crystal-plasticity based on defect-densities in a second-order continuum
• Thermodynamic forces in single crystals with dislocations
• A contextual Planck parameter and the classical limit in quantum cosmology
• Fields of bounded deformation for mesoscopic dislocations
• Compatibility conditions of continua using Riemann–Cartan geometry
• Élie Cartan's torsion in geometry and in field theory an essay
• The gauge theory of dislocations: a nonuniformly moving screw dislocation
• Rotational elasticity and couplings to linear elasticity
• A screw dislocation in a functionally graded material using the translation gauge theory of dislocations
• Disclinations in the geometric theory of defects
• A generalized Hartle-Hawking wave function
• Cartan, Schouten and the search for connection
• A gauge-theoretical approach to elasticity with microrotations

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