Penrose diagrams of Minkowski and Schwarzschild spacetime

Penrose diagram of Minkowski and Schwarzschild metrics to illustrate the causal structure of different spacetime geometries. Lightlike worldlines remain at 45 degrees as indicated by the photons and light cones, i.e. the diagrams are conformal. The grid indicates lines of constant r and t. Different types of infinities are indicated: lightlike, timelike, spacelike, postive/negative future and past. For more related figures, please see Relativity category.

Simple coordinate transformation to rotate the axes by 45°.
Penrose diagram for Minkowski spacetime with light cones.

Transformation to Penrose coordinates for Minkowski space such that we can show infinity as a boundary:
Penrose diagram for Minkowski spacetime with light cones.

Penrose diagram with a particle worldliness and a light cone with 45° angles. The lines of constant time or constant space are equidistant in spacetime:
Penrose diagram for Minkowski spacetime with light cones.

Penrose diagram with full labeling (note the lines of constant time or constant space are not equidistant in xt spacetime, but equidistant in uv spacetime instead):
Penrose diagram for Minkowski spacetime.

Penrose diagram for radius r between 0 and infinity (instead of x):
Penrose diagram for Minkowski spacetime.


Transformation of Kruskal-Szekeres coordinates to show the geometry of a Schwarzschild black hole:
Penrose coordinates of Kruskal-Szekeres coordinates.

Penrose diagram for Schwarzschild black hole. It is derived via Kruskal-Szekeres coordinates above. The horizon is at r = 2GM (v = ±u), singularity at r = 0:
Penrose diagram for Schwarzschild black hole.

Extendend Penrose diagram for Schwarzschild black hole:
Extendend Penrose diagram for Schwarzschild black hole.

Edit and compile if you like:

% Author: Izaak Neutelings (September 2021)
% Inspiration:
% https://jila.colorado.edu/~ajsh/insidebh/penrose.html
% https://tex.stackexchange.com/questions/99124/how-to-draw-penrose-diagrams-with-tikz
% coordinates: https://arxiv.org/pdf/physics/0611033.pdf
% https://arxiv.org/pdf/0711.0873.pdf
\documentclass[border=3pt,tikz]{standalone}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usepackage{amsmath} % for \text
\usepackage{mathrsfs} % for \mathscr
\usepackage{xfp} % higher precision (16 digits?)
\usepackage[outline]{contour} % glow around text
\usetikzlibrary{decorations.markings,decorations.pathmorphing}
\usetikzlibrary{angles,quotes} % for pic (angle labels)
\usetikzlibrary{arrows.meta} % for arrow size
\contourlength{1.4pt}
\newcommand{\calI}{\mathscr{I}} %\mathcal
\tikzset{>=latex} % for LaTeX arrow head
\colorlet{myred}{red!80!black}
\colorlet{myblue}{blue!80!black}
\colorlet{mygreen}{green!80!black}
\colorlet{mydarkred}{red!50!black}
\colorlet{mydarkblue}{blue!50!black}
\colorlet{mylightblue}{mydarkblue!6}
\colorlet{mypurple}{blue!40!red!80!black}
\colorlet{mydarkpurple}{blue!40!red!50!black}
\colorlet{mylightpurple}{mydarkpurple!80!red!6}
\colorlet{myorange}{orange!40!yellow!95!black}
\tikzstyle{cone}=[mydarkblue,line width=0.2,top color=blue!60!black!30,
bottom color=blue!60!black!50!red!30,shading angle=60,fill opacity=0.9]
\tikzstyle{cone back}=[mydarkblue,line width=0.1,dash pattern=on 1pt off 1pt]
\tikzstyle{world line}=[myblue!60,line width=0.4]
\tikzstyle{world line t}=[mypurple!60,line width=0.4]
\tikzstyle{particle}=[mygreen,line width=0.5]
\tikzstyle{photon}=[-{Latex[length=4,width=3]},myorange,line width=0.4,decorate,
decoration={snake,amplitude=0.9,segment length=4,post length=3.8}]
\tikzstyle{singularity}=[myred,line width=0.6,decorate,
decoration={zigzag,amplitude=2,segment length=6.17}]
\tikzset{declare function={%
penrose(\x,\c) = {\fpeval{2/pi*atan( (sqrt((1+tan(\x)^2)^2+4*\c*\c*tan(\x)^2)-1-tan(\x)^2) /(2*\c*tan(\x)^2) )}};%
 
הההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההה
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Click to download: relativity_penrose_diagram.tex relativity_penrose_diagram.pdf
Open in Overleaf: relativity_penrose_diagram.tex

5 Replies to “Penrose diagrams of Minkowski and Schwarzschild spacetime”

      1. Thanks! Do you know how exactly construct diagram for Reissner-Nordstrom metric. I can’t find comprehensive overview 🙁

  1. Would you please get in touch in the email address specified regarding permission to reuse the Penrose diagram for the Minkowski space.

    1. Hi Themis,

      All LaTeX/TikZ code and images on this website fall under the “Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License”, see https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/. You can find all necessary information there.

      Feel free to use, adopt, … as much as you want, and give attribution/credit where appropriate, like a reference to this page, or mention of the author in question.

      Best of luck,

      Izaak

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.