Covariant Derivative Rank 2 Contravariant Tensor

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the computation of the covariant derivative of a rank 2 contravariant tensor, specifically the stress-energy tensor, within the context of general relativity and differential geometry. Participants explore the necessary components and Christoffel symbols required for these calculations, as well as the implications of their values on the conservation of the tensor.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Mathematical reasoning
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that the covariant derivative of a tensor requires the inclusion of Christoffel symbols for each index, as indicated in the formula presented.
  • One participant expresses confusion regarding the necessary components of the stress-energy tensor and the corresponding Christoffel symbols needed for calculations.
  • Another participant emphasizes the need to specify all components of the stress-energy tensor to compute the covariant derivative correctly.
  • There is a discussion about the metric used in calculations, with participants providing different expressions for the metric components and their implications for the Einstein tensor.
  • Some participants question the validity of the metric provided and its consistency with the stress-energy tensor, leading to further clarification requests.
  • One participant notes the importance of explicitly writing out summation terms to avoid confusion in the calculations.
  • There are multiple references to the need for clarity on the Christoffel symbols and how they relate to the indices of the tensor components.
  • Participants discuss the potential for contradictions arising from incomplete information about the tensor components and Christoffel symbols.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the correct values for the Christoffel symbols or the implications of the metric used. There are competing views on the correct approach to calculating the covariant derivative and the corresponding Einstein tensor.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the dependence on the specific metric chosen and the unresolved nature of the calculations regarding the Einstein tensor and stress-energy tensor components.

Bishal Banjara
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TL;DR
Though, we are familiar with covariant derivative of contravariant tensor of index 1 it is perhaps that we don't have it with index 2. I want a clarification on it.
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You simply have to put the "correction" with the Christoffel symbol for each index on the tensor components:
$$\mathrm{D}_j A^{kl}=\partial_j A^{kl} + {\Gamma^k}_{ij} A^{il} + {\Gamma^l}_{il} A^{ki}.$$
 
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Bishal Banjara said:
Having text and equations in images is not permitted here at PF. Please type your text directly in the post and use the LaTeX support to type equations directly. (A LaTeX Guide link appears at the bottom left of the post window.)
 
I have got one of the stress energy momentum tensor component $$T_{rr}=-\frac{\Phi^2}{2\pi\mathcal{G}r^2 \left(1+2\Phi\right)^2,} where, \phi=2GM/r$$, how could I solve the covariant derivative following this rule to check whether that tensor is conserved? or, how to abstract/specify the Christoffel's other than $${\tau_{rr}}^r$$?
 
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Without specifying the other components of ##T_{ab}##? You can't, since you need to show that$$\begin{eqnarray*}
0&=&\nabla_aT^{ab}\\
&=&\partial_aT^{ab}+\Gamma^a_{ad}T^{db}+\Gamma^b_{ad}T^{da}\end{eqnarray*}$$for all ##b##, which ends up requiring you to know all the components of ##T##, or else that all Christoffel symbols that multiply an unknown element are zero. I tend to suspect the latter would lead you into a contradiction if you only know one element of ##T##, although I haven't tried to prove it.
 
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@lbix, sure, the rest components are $$T_{tt}=\frac{\phi^2}{2\pi{G}r^2(1+2\phi)^2}, T_{\theta\theta}=\frac{\phi^2}{2\pi{G}r^2(1+2\phi)^3} and T_{\phi\phi}=\frac{\phi^2 cosec^2\theta}{2\pi{G}r^2(1+2\phi)^3}$$
 
And the off diagonals are zero? Then just grind through the maths.
 
yes, all others off diagonal components are zero.
 
  • #10
I felt a bit confusion here, regarding the expression of Christoffel's and other components.
 
  • #11
Bishal Banjara said:
I felt a bit confusion here, regarding the expression of Christoffel's and other components.
In order to compute the Christoffel symbols, you need the metric. What is the metric?
 
  • #12
$$\begin{eqnarray*}
0&=&\nabla_aT^{ab}\\
&=&\partial_aT^{ab}+\Gamma^a_{ad}T^{db}+\Gamma^b_{ad}T^{da}\end{eqnarray*}$$. I meant for these christoffels and components.
 
  • #13
Bishal Banjara said:
$$\begin{eqnarray*}
0&=&\nabla_aT^{ab}\\
&=&\partial_aT^{ab}+\Gamma^a_{ad}T^{db}+\Gamma^b_{ad}T^{da}\end{eqnarray*}$$. I mean these christoffels and components.
That formula doesn't tell you the values of the Christoffel symbols. You need their values in order to compute the covariant derivative of ##T_{ab}##.
 
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  • #14
$$g_{tt}=-(1+2GM/r)^{-1}, g_{rr}=(1+2GM/r), g_{\theta\theta}=r^2 and g_{\phi\phi}=r^2{sin^2\theta}$$
 
  • #15
Bishal Banjara said:
I felt a bit confusion here, regarding the expression of Christoffel's and other components.
I find it helpful to write out the sums explicitly. Thus$$\begin{eqnarray*}
0&=&\partial_aT^{ab}+\Gamma^a_{ad}T^{db}+\Gamma^b_{ad}T^{da}\\
&=&\sum_a\partial_aT^{ab}\\
&&+\sum_a\sum_d\Gamma^a_{ad}T^{db}\\
&&+\sum_a\sum_d\Gamma^b_{ad}T^{da}\end{eqnarray*}$$where there is no implied summation over repeated indices in the second line (there is in the first). There is one free index, so this us four equations, one for each ##b##. Doing the ##b=r## case, you have$$\begin{eqnarray*}
0&=&\sum_a\partial_aT^{ar}\\
&&+\sum_a\sum_d\Gamma^a_{ad}T^{dr}\\
&&+\sum_a\sum_d\Gamma^r_{ad}T^{da}\\
&=&\partial_rT^{rr}\\
&&+\sum_a\Gamma^a_{ar}T^{rr}\\
&&+\sum_a\Gamma^r_{aa}T^{aa}\end{eqnarray*}$$Again there is no implied summation. We have used the fact that ##T^{ab}=0\ \forall\ a\neq b## to drop summation terms that are obviously zero in order to go from the first line to the second.

I should note that putting the summation signs in has absolutely no effect except that I personally find it useful as a way of tracking what is being summed over and what is not.
 
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  • #16
Ibix said:
Again there is no implied summation. We have used the fact that ##T^{ab}=0\ \forall\ a\neq b## to drop summation terms that are obviously zero in order to go from the first line to the second.
??
 
  • #17
Is there a question in your last post @Bishal Banjara, or was that an accidental post?
 
  • #18
how to define $${\tau^r}_{aa}, T^{aa}$$?
To be frank it is truly accidental post but roaming here and there I came to same point.
 
  • #19
What's ##\tau^r_{aa}##? Do you mean the Christoffel symbol usually denoted ##\Gamma^r_{aa}##?
 
  • #20
yes..
 
  • #21
Then I don't understand what the problem is. You know how to calculate the Christoffel symbols, correct? And you've already stated the components of the stress-energy tensor. You have everything you need...
 
  • #22
According to the information I had given, what are those values I have to insert for those christoffels and components you just mentioned?
 
  • #23
Does this $$T_{aa}=T_{tt}$$ and so on..?
 
  • #24
No - ##a## is a dummy index so you will never see it outside a summation. Thus$$\begin{eqnarray*}
&&\sum_a\Gamma^a_{ar}T^{rr}\\
&=&\Gamma^t_{tr}T^{rr}+\Gamma^r_{rr}T^{rr}+\Gamma^\theta_{\theta r}T^{rr}+\Gamma^\phi_{\phi r}T^{rr}
\end{eqnarray*}$$and similarly for the other sum.
 
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  • #25
Bishal Banjara said:
$$g_{tt}=-(1+2GM/r)^{-1}, g_{rr}=(1+2GM/r), g_{\theta\theta}=r^2 and g_{\phi\phi}=r^2{sin^2\theta}$$
You need to check your computations; this metric does not give an Einstein tensor that corresponds to the stress-energy tensor you have posted.
 
  • #26
Please specify...what have you obtained? So that I could recheck mine. I had followed the same procedure as Sean Carroll's book.
 
  • #27
Bishal Banjara said:
Please specify...what have you obtained?
[Edit--this was wrong, see post #30 for correction.]

In terms of ##M## instead of ##\phi##, which is the more usual notation, I get the following from Maxima for the Einstein tensor (note that these are the mixed components):

$$
G^t{}_t = - \frac{4M^2}{r^2 \left( r + 2M \right)^2}
$$

$$
G^r{}_r = \frac{4M^2}{r^2 \left( r - 2M \right) \left( r + 2M \right)}
$$

$$
G^\theta{}_\theta = G^\phi{}_\phi = - \frac{4M^2 \left( r - M \right)}{r \left( r - 2M \right)^2 \left( r + 2M \right)^2}
$$

Lowering an index on each component (which is simple because the metric is diagonal) then gives

$$
G_{tt}= \frac{4M^2 \left( r - 2M \right)}{r^3 \left( r + 2M \right)^2}
$$

$$
G_{rr} = \frac{4M^2}{r^3 \left( r - 2M \right)}
$$

$$
G_{\theta \theta} = - \frac{4M^2 r \left( r - M \right)}{\left( r - 2M \right)^2 \left( r + 2M \right)^2}
$$

$$
G_{\phi \phi} = - \frac{4M^2 r \left( r - M \right) \sin^2 \theta}{\left( r - 2M \right)^2 \left( r + 2M \right)^2}
$$
 
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  • #28
PeterDonis said:
In terms of ##M## instead of ##\phi##, which is the more usual notation, I get the following from Maxima for the Einstein tensor (note that these are the mixed components):

$$
G^t{}_t = - \frac{4M^2}{r^2 \left( r + 2M \right)^2}
$$

$$
G^r{}_r = \frac{4M^2}{r^2 \left( r - 2M \right) \left( r + 2M \right)}
$$

$$
G^\theta{}_\theta = G^\phi{}_\phi = - \frac{4M^2 \left( r - M \right)}{r \left( r - 2M \right)^2 \left( r + 2M \right)^2}
$$
Are you sure? I get$$\begin{eqnarray*}
G^t{}_t=G^r{}_r&=&-\frac{4M^2}{r^2(r+2M)^2}\\
G^\theta{}_\theta=G^\phi{}_\phi&=&\frac{4M^2}{r(r+2M)^3}
\end{eqnarray*}$$From your index lowering, it looks to me like your ##g_{tt}## is ##-(1-2M/r)## where I believe @Bishal Banjara specified ##-(1+2M/r)^{-1}## in #14.
 
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  • #29
Ibix said:
From your index lowering, it looks to me like your ##g_{tt}## is ##-(1-2M/r)## where I believe @Bishal Banjara specified ##-(1+2M/r)^{-1}## in #14.
Ah, you're right, I misread the metric. I'll have to re-do the computation in Maxima.
 
  • #30
Ibix said:
Are you sure? I get$$\begin{eqnarray*}
G^t{}_t=G^r{}_r&=&-\frac{4M^2}{r^2(r+2M)^2}\\
G^\theta{}_\theta=G^\phi{}_\phi&=&\frac{4M^2}{r(r+2M)^3}
\end{eqnarray*}$$
Yes, with the correct metric from #14, that's what I get from Maxima. Lowering an index on each then gives

$$
G_{tt}= \frac{4M^2}{r \left( r + 2M \right)^3}
$$

$$
G_{rr}= - \frac{4M^2}{r^3 \left( r + 2M \right)}
$$

$$
G_{\theta \theta} = \frac{4M^2 r}{\left( r + 2M \right)^3}
$$

$$
G_{\phi \phi} = \frac{4M^2 r \sin^2 \theta}{\left( r + 2M \right)^3}
$$

This still doesn't look like what the OP posted.
 
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