- #1
quZz
- 125
- 1
Hi everyone,
I don't fully understand what is the regular method to state and solve problems in GR when no handy hints like spherical symmetry or homogeneity of time are assumed. If I find myself in arbitrary reference frame with coordinates [itex]x^0[/itex], [itex]x^1[/itex], [itex]x^2[/itex], [itex]x^3[/itex] the meaning of which is unknown beforehand (or known only locally), how do I proceed with boundary conditions and stress-energy tensor?
Consider the following simple problem: two point masses [itex]m_1[/itex], [itex]m_2[/itex] are separated by distance [itex]a[/itex]. Obviously [itex]T_{\mu\nu}[/itex] is a sum of two delta functions. Suppose the first mass is at the origin but where then is the second mass? Should I write [itex]\delta(x^1 - a)[/itex] or [itex]\delta(\sqrt{(x^1)^2 + x^1 x^2} - a)[/itex] or ...? You may say - OK, choose the coordinates in such a way that [itex]\delta(x^1 - a)[/itex] would be valid. But there are only 4 possible coordinate transformations, what if I had thousands of point masses?
So it seems that in general a statement of a problem in GR is interconnected with its very solution, which is confusing: are all problems solvable? uniquely? what would a "real mccoy" equation look like?
I don't fully understand what is the regular method to state and solve problems in GR when no handy hints like spherical symmetry or homogeneity of time are assumed. If I find myself in arbitrary reference frame with coordinates [itex]x^0[/itex], [itex]x^1[/itex], [itex]x^2[/itex], [itex]x^3[/itex] the meaning of which is unknown beforehand (or known only locally), how do I proceed with boundary conditions and stress-energy tensor?
Consider the following simple problem: two point masses [itex]m_1[/itex], [itex]m_2[/itex] are separated by distance [itex]a[/itex]. Obviously [itex]T_{\mu\nu}[/itex] is a sum of two delta functions. Suppose the first mass is at the origin but where then is the second mass? Should I write [itex]\delta(x^1 - a)[/itex] or [itex]\delta(\sqrt{(x^1)^2 + x^1 x^2} - a)[/itex] or ...? You may say - OK, choose the coordinates in such a way that [itex]\delta(x^1 - a)[/itex] would be valid. But there are only 4 possible coordinate transformations, what if I had thousands of point masses?
So it seems that in general a statement of a problem in GR is interconnected with its very solution, which is confusing: are all problems solvable? uniquely? what would a "real mccoy" equation look like?