Liouville operator in Robertson Walker metric

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the Liouville operator in a Robertson-Walker metric, specifically using the equation $$ \mathbb{L} = \dfrac{\text{d} x^\mu}{\text{d} \lambda} \dfrac{\partial}{\partial x^\mu} - \Gamma^{\mu}_{\nu \rho} p^{\nu} p^{\rho} \dfrac{\partial}{\partial p^\mu} $$. The participants identify the need to correctly apply the Christoffel symbols, particularly $$\Gamma^{0}_{\nu \rho}$$, and clarify the role of the mass in the four-momentum definition. The final expression for the Liouville operator is $$ \mathbb{L}[f] = E \dfrac{\partial f}{\partial t} - H \left| \vec{p} \right|^2 \dfrac{\partial f}{\partial E} $$, confirming the relationship with the Hubble parameter.

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Homework Statement


I'd like to calculate the form of Liouville operator in a Robertson Walker metric.

Homework Equations


The general form is
$$ \mathbb{L} = \dfrac{\text{d} x^\mu}{\text{d} \lambda} \dfrac{\partial}{\partial x^\mu} - \Gamma^{\mu}_{\nu \rho} p^{\nu} p^{\rho} \dfrac{\partial}{\partial p^\mu} $$
where ##x^\mu## are the coordinates, ##\lambda## is an affine parameter and ##p^\mu = \frac{\text{d} x^\mu}{\text{d} \lambda}## is the particle four momentum, such as ##g_{\mu \nu} p^\mu p^\nu = m^2##.
Given the Robertson-Walker metric
$$
\text{ds}^2 = \text{d}t^2 - a^2(t) \left( \dfrac{\text{d}r^2}{1-kr^2} + r^2 \text{d} \theta^2 + r^2 \sin^2 \theta \text{d}\varphi^2 \right)
$$
I know that I should get the following expression, considering a mean distribution of the particles ##f(E,t)##
$$ \mathbb{L}[f] = E \dfrac{\partial f}{\partial t} - \dfrac{\dot{a}}{a} \left| \vec{p} \right|^2 \dfrac{\partial f}{\partial E} $$
where ##\frac{\dot{a}}{a} = H## is the Hubble parameter and ##\left| \vec{p} \right| ## is the modulus of the three momentum.

The Attempt at a Solution


I'm actually struggling a bit on this problem, but I do not really know where I'm making the mistake. Since the metric is diagonal, and the distribution ## f ## do not depend on spatial components of ##x^\mu## and ##p^\mu##, the only needed Christoffel connection components should be:
$$
\Gamma^{0}_{\nu \rho} = \dfrac{1}{2} g^{0 \sigma} \left( \partial_{\nu} g_{\rho \sigma} +\partial_{\rho} g_{\sigma \nu} - \partial_{\sigma} g_{\nu \rho} \right)
$$
again because the metric is diagonal, ##\sigma = 0## and the first two terms in the brackets are vanishing. Then I calculate
$$
\Gamma^{0}_{11} = - \dfrac{1}{2} g^{0 0} \partial_{0} g_{11} = \dfrac{a \dot{a}}{1 - k r^2}
$$
$$
\Gamma^{0}_{22} = - \dfrac{1}{2} g^{0 0} \partial_{0} g_{22} = a \dot{a} r^2
$$
$$
\Gamma^{0}_{33} = - \dfrac{1}{2} g^{0 0} \partial_{0} g_{33} = a \dot{a} r^2 \sin^2 \theta
$$
Now there are the problems: if i suppose that ##p^\mu = \left(E,\vec{p} \right)##, the sum over ##\nu, \rho## gives
$$
\Gamma^{0}_{\nu \rho} p^\nu p^\rho= \dfrac{a \dot{a}}{1 - k r^2} p^1 p^1 + a \dot{a} r^2 p^2 p^2 + a \dot{a} r^2 \sin^2 \theta p^3 p^3 \neq H \left| \vec{p} \right|^2
$$
Since i cannot find the error, can anyone help me? Thanks in advance.
 
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Welcome to PF
addaF said:
##p^\mu = \frac{\text{d} x^\mu}{\text{d} \lambda}## is the particle four momentum
Should there be a factor of ##m## in the right-hand side?
Now there are the problems: if i suppose that ##p^\mu = \left(E,\vec{p} \right)##, the sum over ##\nu, \rho## gives
$$
\Gamma^{0}_{\nu \rho} p^\nu p^\rho= \dfrac{a \dot{a}}{1 - k r^2} p^1 p^1 + a \dot{a} r^2 p^2 p^2 + a \dot{a} r^2 \sin^2 \theta p^3 p^3 \neq H \left| \vec{p} \right|^2
$$
I believe the middle expression will reduce to ##H \left| \vec{p} \right|^2##. To see why, write out the expression ##g_{\mu \nu} p^\mu p^\nu = m^2## explicitly.
 
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TSny said:
Should there be a factor of ##m## in the right-hand side?

Yes, of course I forgot the mass in the 4-momentum definition.

TSny said:
I believe the middle expression will reduce to ## H \left| \vec{p} \right|^2##. To see why, write out the expression ##g_{\mu \nu} p^\mu p^\nu = m^2## explicitly.
I immediately realized it as soon as I read your suggestion. I was writing the 3-momentum modulus like in Minkowski metric.

Thank you very much for the reply.
 

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