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- Dirac claims that in a plane wave, one can determine the local energy content of the gravitational field, because the energy-momentum pseudo-tensor behaves like a tensor. Either he is not explaining his point with sufficient clarity, or he is simply wrong?
Question concerns a remark by Dirac in his "General Theory of Relativity", chap. 33, p. 65-66. Dirac is working with plane waves, so the metric $$g_{\mu\nu}(x) = g_{\mu\nu}(l_\sigma x^\sigma)$$ where ##l_\sigma## is the wave vector. Writing ##\xi = l_\sigma x^\sigma##, Dirac defines $$u_{\mu\nu}(\xi)=\frac{dg_{\mu\nu}(\xi)}{d\xi}$$ Thus, ##g_{\mu\nu,\sigma} = u_{\mu\nu} l_\sigma .## It should be noted that ##u_{\mu\nu}## is not a tensor. If it were, then ##g_{\mu\nu,\sigma}## would be a tensor (since ##l_\sigma## is a vector), which it is not. Indeed, ##g'_{\mu\nu}## will not be a function of the variable ##\xi'=\xi## under an arbitrary coordinate transformation; hence, ##u'_{\mu\nu}## is not even defined.
Dirac shows that the (Einstein-Hilbert) energy-momentum pseudo-tensor has the form $$16\pi t^{\mu\nu} = \frac{1}{2}\left( u_{\alpha\beta}u^{\alpha\beta} - \frac{1}{2}u^2 \right) l^\mu l^\nu $$ where ##u = g^{\alpha\beta}u_{\alpha\beta} .##
Dirac says, "We have a result for ##t^{\mu\nu}## that looks like a tensor. This means that ##t^{\mu\nu}## transforms like a tensor under those transformations that preserve the character of the field of consisting only of waves moving in the direction ##l_\sigma##, so that the ##g_{\mu\nu}## remain functions of the single variable ##l_\sigma x^\sigma##. Such transformations must consist only in the introduction of coordinate waves moving in the direction ##l_\sigma##, of the form $$x^{\mu'} = x^\mu + b^\mu$$ where ##b^\mu## is a function only of ##l_\sigma x^\sigma##. With the restriction that we have waves moving only in one direction, gravitational energy can be localized."
First, once again, ##u_{\mu\nu}## is not a tensor, and ##u## is not a scalar, so it's not clear what Dirac means by "We have a result for ##t^{\mu\nu}## that looks like a tensor." Second, it is well known and understood that the pseudo-tensor cannot be a tensor, since then it would have to vanish by changing to locally inertial coordinates, where there is no gravitational field. Thus, the energy-momentum pseudo-tensor is coordinate dependent; hence, we cannot have a concept of local energy-momentum in the gravitational field.
What exactly is Dirac saying?
Dirac shows that the (Einstein-Hilbert) energy-momentum pseudo-tensor has the form $$16\pi t^{\mu\nu} = \frac{1}{2}\left( u_{\alpha\beta}u^{\alpha\beta} - \frac{1}{2}u^2 \right) l^\mu l^\nu $$ where ##u = g^{\alpha\beta}u_{\alpha\beta} .##
Dirac says, "We have a result for ##t^{\mu\nu}## that looks like a tensor. This means that ##t^{\mu\nu}## transforms like a tensor under those transformations that preserve the character of the field of consisting only of waves moving in the direction ##l_\sigma##, so that the ##g_{\mu\nu}## remain functions of the single variable ##l_\sigma x^\sigma##. Such transformations must consist only in the introduction of coordinate waves moving in the direction ##l_\sigma##, of the form $$x^{\mu'} = x^\mu + b^\mu$$ where ##b^\mu## is a function only of ##l_\sigma x^\sigma##. With the restriction that we have waves moving only in one direction, gravitational energy can be localized."
First, once again, ##u_{\mu\nu}## is not a tensor, and ##u## is not a scalar, so it's not clear what Dirac means by "We have a result for ##t^{\mu\nu}## that looks like a tensor." Second, it is well known and understood that the pseudo-tensor cannot be a tensor, since then it would have to vanish by changing to locally inertial coordinates, where there is no gravitational field. Thus, the energy-momentum pseudo-tensor is coordinate dependent; hence, we cannot have a concept of local energy-momentum in the gravitational field.
What exactly is Dirac saying?