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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Faraoni, Valerio, Veilleux, Nikki
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.14670
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author Faraoni, Valerio
Veilleux, Nikki
author_facet Faraoni, Valerio
Veilleux, Nikki
contents In the shallow water approximation, the cross-sectional profiles of laboratory rivers satisfy a differential equation here shown to be formally the Friedmann equation of cosmology ruling the evolution of Anti-de Sitter universe. The ensuing cosmic analogy provides a counterintuitive Lagrangian for the transverse river profile. Extremizing the corresponding action corresponds to extremizing the friction force on the river bottom and the energy dissipation rate. Analysis of the second variation establishes that this extremum is a maximum.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_14670
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Laboratory rivers extremize friction and are cosmological analogues
Faraoni, Valerio
Veilleux, Nikki
Geophysics
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
In the shallow water approximation, the cross-sectional profiles of laboratory rivers satisfy a differential equation here shown to be formally the Friedmann equation of cosmology ruling the evolution of Anti-de Sitter universe. The ensuing cosmic analogy provides a counterintuitive Lagrangian for the transverse river profile. Extremizing the corresponding action corresponds to extremizing the friction force on the river bottom and the energy dissipation rate. Analysis of the second variation establishes that this extremum is a maximum.
title Laboratory rivers extremize friction and are cosmological analogues
topic Geophysics
General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.14670