GeodesicViewer – A tool for exploring geodesics in the theory of relativity

Abstract

The GeodesicViewer realizes exocentric two- and three-dimensional illustrations of lightlike and timelike geodesics in the general theory of relativity. By means of an intuitive graphical user interface, all parameters of a spacetime as well as the initial conditions of the geodesics can be modified interactively. This makes the GeodesicViewer a useful instrument for the exploration of geodesics in four-dimensional Lorentzian spacetimes. Program summary Program title: GeodesicViewer Catalogue identifier: AEFP_v1_0 Program summary URL: http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AEFP_v1_0.html Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen's University, Belfast, N. Ireland Licensing provisions: Standard CPC licence, http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/licence/licence.html No. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 168 868 No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 6 076 202 Distribution format: tar.gz Programming language: C++, Qt, Qwt, OpenGL Computer: All platforms with a C++ compiler, Qt, Qwt, OpenGL Operating system: Linux, Mac OS X RAM: 24 Mbytes Classification: 1.5 External routines: • Gnu Scientific Library (GSL) ( http://www.gnu.org/software/gsl/) • Motion4D (included in the package). The Motion4D library can also be downloaded from CPC. Catalogue identifier: AEEX • Qt ( http://qt.nokia.com/downloads) • Qwt ( http://qwt.sourceforge.net/) • OpenGL ( http://www.opengl.org/) Nature of problem: Illustrate geodesics in four-dimensional Lorentzian spacetimes. Solution method: Integration of ordinary differential equations. 3D-Rendering via OpenGL. Running time: Interactive. The examples given take milliseconds.