Back to Search
Start Over
Gravitational energy is well defined
- Source :
- Int. J. Mod. Phys. D27 (2018) 1847017
- Publication Year :
- 2018
-
Abstract
- The energy of gravitating systems has been an issue since Einstein proposed general relativity: considered to be ill defined, having no proper local density. Energy-momentum is now regarded as \emph{quasi-local} (associated with a closed 2-surface). We consider the pseudotensor and quasi-local proposals in the Lagrangian-Noether-Hamiltonian formulations. There are two ambiguities: (i) many expressions, (ii) each depends on some non-dynamical structure, e.g., a reference frame. The Hamiltonian approach gives a handle on both problems. Our remarkable discovery is that with a 4D isometric Minkowski reference a large class of expressions---those that agree with the Einstein pseudotensor's Freud superpotential to linear order---give a common quasi-local energy value. With a best-matched reference on the boundary this value is the non-negative Wang-Yau mass.<br />Comment: 7 pages, Honorable Mention in the 2018 Essay Competition of the Gravity Research Foundation
- Subjects :
- General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology
High Energy Physics - Theory
Subjects
Details
- Database :
- arXiv
- Journal :
- Int. J. Mod. Phys. D27 (2018) 1847017
- Publication Type :
- Report
- Accession number :
- edsarx.1805.07692
- Document Type :
- Working Paper
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1142/S021827181847017X