Understanding Papapetrou's Spinning Test Particles in GR

  • Context: Undergrad 
  • Thread starter Thread starter ergospherical
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Definition Particles
ergospherical
Science Advisor
Homework Helper
Education Advisor
Insights Author
Messages
1,098
Reaction score
1,385
I'd appreciate some clarification of this passage in the paper Spinning test particles in general relativity by Papapetrou,

1630061195931.png


The definition is easy enough to understand, but what's the motivation? ##X^{\alpha}## are the coordinates of points on the worldline whilst ##x^{\alpha}## are presumably arbitrary spacetime coordinates (of points near the worldline).

n.b. ##\mathfrak{T}^{\mu \nu} = \sqrt{-g} T^{\mu \nu}## and\begin{align*}
\nabla_{\nu} T^{\mu \nu} = \partial_{\nu} T^{\mu \nu} + \Gamma^{\nu}_{\sigma \nu} T^{\mu \sigma} + \Gamma^{\mu}_{\sigma \nu} T^{\sigma \nu} &= 0 \\ \\

\implies \dfrac{1}{\sqrt{-g}} \partial_{\nu} \left( \sqrt{-g} T^{\mu \nu} \right) + \Gamma^{\mu}_{\sigma \nu} T^{\sigma \nu} &= 0\\

\partial_{\nu} \left( \sqrt{-g} T^{\mu \nu} \right) + \Gamma^{\mu}_{\sigma \nu} \sqrt{-g} T^{\sigma \nu} &= 0 \\

\partial_{\nu} \mathfrak{T}^{\mu \nu} + \Gamma^{\mu}_{\sigma \nu}\mathfrak{T}^{\sigma \nu} &= 0
\end{align*}
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
It looks like a Cartesian multipole expansion similar as in electrodynamics, where you have the electric current density ##J^{\mu}## as a source, while here it's of course the energy-momentum tensor as a source of the gravitational field.

BTW: The scans via JSTOR are much better in quality:

https://www.jstor.org/stable/98893
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: ergospherical
ergospherical said:
I'd appreciate some clarification of this passage in the paper Spinning test particles in general relativity by Papapetrou,

View attachment 288176

The definition is easy enough to understand, but what's the motivation? ##X^{\alpha}## are the coordinates of points on the worldline whilst ##x^{\alpha}## are presumably arbitrary spacetime coordinates (of points near the worldline).
If beside [itex]\int d^3x \sqrt{-g} T^{\mu\nu} \neq 0[/itex], you have a vanishing higher moments, [itex]\int d^3x \sqrt{-g} \delta x^{\rho}T^{\mu\nu} = 0[/itex] for all [itex]\rho, \mu, \nu[/itex], then the object has no structure, i.e., a single-pole particle. And if the first moment does not vanish, i.e. for some values of the indices, [itex]\int d^3x \sqrt{-g} \delta x^{\rho}T^{\mu\nu} \neq 0[/itex], the object has a structure, i.e., pole-dipole particle. See equations 6,7 and 8 in
https://www.physicsforums.com/threa...-the-stress-energy-tensor.547502/post-3616065
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: vanhees71 and ergospherical

Similar threads

  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K
  • · Replies 38 ·
2
Replies
38
Views
3K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
3K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
1K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
1K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
3K
Replies
22
Views
4K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
3K
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
2K