Linearising the Geodesic Deviation Equation

Xander314
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Homework Statement


Write down the Newtonian approximation to the geodesic deviation equation for a family of geodesics. ##V^\mu## is the particle 4-velocity and ##Y^\mu## is the deviation vector.

Homework Equations


[tex] D = V^\mu\nabla_\mu \\<br /> V^\mu\approx(1,0,0,0) \\<br /> g_{\mu\nu}=\eta_{\mu\nu}+h_{\mu\nu}[/tex][/B]
The geodesic deviation equation and the desired linearisation are
[tex] D^2 Y^\mu = R^\mu{}_{\rho\lambda\nu} \\<br /> \partial_t^2 Y^i = -\partial_i\partial_j\phi Y^j[/tex]

The Attempt at a Solution


Apologies if this is not the correct way to post in this subforum, but I'm not going to write up all of what I have so far as I don't think it's relevant to my question. My issue is with the left hand side, which with the approximation for the 4-velocity becomes
[itex] D^2 Y^\mu = V^\mu\nabla_\mu V^\nu\nabla_\nu Y^\mu = \nabla_t^2 Y^\mu[/itex]
Everywhere I have looked, the next step is to replace this by ##\partial_t^2 Y^\mu##, but I don't follow this logic. As far as I can see, the covariant and partial derivatives differ by Christoffel symbols containing terms O(h), which should enter into the linearisation. What am I missing? Is Y also O(h)?
 
on Phys.org
Xander314 said:

Homework Statement


Write down the Newtonian approximation to the geodesic deviation equation for a family of geodesics. ##V^\mu## is the particle 4-velocity and ##Y^\mu## is the deviation vector.

Homework Equations


[tex] D = V^\mu\nabla_\mu \\<br /> V^\mu\approx(1,0,0,0) \\<br /> g_{\mu\nu}=\eta_{\mu\nu}+h_{\mu\nu}[/tex][/B]
The geodesic deviation equation and the desired linearisation are
[tex] D^2 Y^\mu = R^\mu{}_{\rho\lambda\nu} \\<br /> \partial_t^2 Y^i = -\partial_i\partial_j\phi Y^j[/tex]

That equation [itex]D^2 Y^\mu = R^\mu{}_{\rho\lambda\nu}[/itex] can't possibly be right, because the left-hand side has only one index, [itex]\mu[/itex], while the right side has indices [itex]\mu, \rho, \lambda, \nu[/itex]. I think it's supposed to be something like:

[itex]D^2 Y^\mu = R^\mu{}_{\rho\lambda\nu} V^\rho V^\lambda Y^\nu[/itex]
 

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