- #1
Silviu
- 624
- 11
Hello! I have just started the Einstein field equations in my readings on GR and I want to make sure I understand the stress energy tensor. If we have a spherical, non-moving, non-spinning source, let's say a neutron star (I don't know much about neutron stars, so I apologize if the non-moving and spinning are realistic). Please tell me if the following are correct. As nothing moves, ##T^{0i} = 0##. ##T^{ij}##, should be equal to the pressure inside the star (as particles don't move across boundaries to carry momentum). Now for ##T^{00}##, this contains ##\rho## the energy density. Now here is where I am a bit confused, does ##T^{00}## also contains the gravitational potential energy at a given point, or the potential energy doesn't exist in GR (i.e. mass curves spacetime and particles move on geodesics there, without needing the notion of potential energy). So let's say just outside the star, where ##\rho = 0## the ##T^{00}## is 0 or is the potential energy created by the star at that point? Thank you!