Can Gravitational Fields Break and Reconnect? Einstein’s Equations Suggest They Can

Amazing stuff!

"[scientists] recently found a new way of looking at Einstein’s equations that reveals a striking analogy with “magnetic reconnection” in plasmas, which occurs when magnetic field lines break and reconnect, powering explosive phenomena such as solar flares.

Their work shows that something similar can happen to gravity: Under the right conditions, gravitational field structures can also break and reconnect—a process they call “gravitational reconnection.” When they do, energy moves out of the gravitational field and into matter. ..."

From the abstract:

"In a tetrad formulation of general relativity, an ideal Ohm-type condition for the gravitational field implies the conservation of gravitational fluxes and the preservation of the connectivity of gravitational field sheets. We investigate the consequences of departures from ideal gravitational evolution by developing a theory of gravitational reconnection, defined as a change in the connectivity of gravitational field sheets arising from the breakdown of the ideal frozen-in evolution of the gravitational field. We derive quantitative measures of the gravitational reconnection rate, show that gravitational reconnection alters the energy-momentum exchange between the gravitational and matter sectors, and determine how it modifies the evolution of gravitational helicity.

Our results provide a quantitative framework for describing changes in gravitational connectivity and their consequences in dynamical spacetimes."

Can Gravitational Fields Break and Reconnect? Einstein’s Equations Suggest They Can. | Columbia News "Physicists have identified a process called “gravitational reconnection” that could transfer energy from gravity into matter."

Reconnection of gravitational fields (no public access)

Reconnection of Gravitational Fields (preprint, open access)