Content overview: “Einstein's Equations Hint Gravitational Fields Can Break and Reconnect Like Magnetic Field”. More than a century after Albert Einstein formulated his general theory of relativity, physicists are still uncovering new implications in his equations. In a recent study, Luca Comisso of Columbia University and Felipe A. Asenjo of Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez in Chile have shown that gravitational fi
Einstein's Equations Hint Gravitational Fields Can Break and Reconnect Like Magnetic Fields, Columbia Study Finds Asenjo of Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez in Chile have shown that gravitational fields can undergo a process analogous to magnetic reconnection—the breaking and reconnecting of field lines that powers solar flares and other explosive plasma events. By reinterpreting Einstein's equations, the researchers found that under certain extreme conditions, such as near merging black holes or neutron stars, gravitational field lines may snap and rejoin, releasing enormous energy. The full version stays on the original page, which this listing opens directly.