From: ralivingston1952@charter.net   
      
   On Wednesday, April 17, 2019 at 6:28:35 PM UTC-5, J.B. Wood wrote:   
   > Hello, all.  One concept that I can seem to get my thoughts around is   
   > that arguably gravitational force fits in to the Newtonian concept of a   
   > force that can act on a mass.  But general relativity informs us that   
   > gravity isn't a force at all but a phenomenon due to the curvature of   
   > space-time.  How can merely the curvature of space give rise to the fact   
   > that two untethered masses will tend to be attracted to and move toward   
   > one another?  We've seen those rubber-sheet demos but they rely on   
   > earth's gravity and we end up with a cause-effect-cause situation?   
   > Thanks for your time and comment.  Sincerely   
   > --   
   > J. B. Wood	            e-mail: arl_123234@hotmail.com   
      
   The key to understanding how general relativity explains gravity   
   is to focus on the time metric component, g_00. This is the component   
   that results in the gravitational red shift, which, in simple terms,   
   says that an oscillator at one elevation in a gravitational field   
   will appear to have a lower frequency when viewed from a higher   
   elevation, and conversely will appear to have a higher frequency   
   when viewed from a lower elevation.  (it is incorrect to say that   
   the frequency changes; no matter where the oscillator is located,   
   an observer at the same elevation will always observe the same   
   frequency.)   
      
   Now consider a particle at rest (momentarily) in a gravitational   
   field.  As reqpresented in quantum mechanics this particle will be   
   a wave function with a frequency proportional to its mass, and the   
   wave function will be a fuzzy blob extending over some region of   
   space.  Because the particle is at rest, all parts of the wave   
   function will have the same phase.  Because of the gravitational   
   red shift, the lower parts of this wave function will change phase   
   at a lower frequency than higher parts.  As a result the wave   
   function will quickly get out of phase.  The result is a linear   
   change in phase with altitude, which quantum mechanically means it   
   has momentum, and it is a momentum that grows with time.  i.e. a   
   force.   
      
   Rich L.   
      
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