Paper 4 , Section II, 37D

General Relativity
Part II, 2020

In linearized general relativity, we consider spacetime metrics that are perturbatively close to Minkowski, gμν=ημν+hμνg_{\mu \nu}=\eta_{\mu \nu}+h_{\mu \nu}, where ημν=diag(1,1,1,1)\eta_{\mu \nu}=\operatorname{diag}(-1,1,1,1) and hμν=O(ϵ)1h_{\mu \nu}=\mathcal{O}(\epsilon) \ll 1. In the Lorenz gauge, the Einstein tensor, at linear order, is given by

Gμν=12hˉμν,hˉμν=hμν12ημνhG_{\mu \nu}=-\frac{1}{2} \square \bar{h}_{\mu \nu}, \quad \bar{h}_{\mu \nu}=h_{\mu \nu}-\frac{1}{2} \eta_{\mu \nu} h

where =ημνμν\square=\eta^{\mu \nu} \partial_{\mu} \partial_{\nu} and h=ημνhμνh=\eta^{\mu \nu} h_{\mu \nu}.

(i) Show that the (fully nonlinear) Einstein equations Gαβ=8πTαβG_{\alpha \beta}=8 \pi T_{\alpha \beta} can be equivalently written in terms of the Ricci tensor RαβR_{\alpha \beta} as

Rαβ=8π(Tαβ12gαβT),T=gμνTμνR_{\alpha \beta}=8 \pi\left(T_{\alpha \beta}-\frac{1}{2} g_{\alpha \beta} T\right), \quad T=g^{\mu \nu} T_{\mu \nu}

Show likewise that equation ()(\dagger) can be written as

hμν=16π(Tμν12ημνT)\square h_{\mu \nu}=-16 \pi\left(T_{\mu \nu}-\frac{1}{2} \eta_{\mu \nu} T\right)

(ii) In the Newtonian limit we consider matter sources with small velocities v1v \ll 1 such that time derivatives /tv/xi\partial / \partial t \sim v \partial / \partial x^{i} can be neglected relative to spatial derivatives, and the only non-negligible component of the energy-momentum tensor is the energy density T00=ρT_{00}=\rho. Show that in this limit, we recover from equation ()(*) the Poisson equation 2Φ=4πρ\vec{\nabla}^{2} \Phi=4 \pi \rho of Newtonian gravity if we identify h00=2Φh_{00}=-2 \Phi.

(iii) A point particle of mass MM is modelled by the energy density ρ=Mδ(r)\rho=M \delta(r). Derive the Newtonian potential Φ\Phi for this point particle by solving the Poisson equation.

[You can assume the solution of 2φ=f(r)\vec{\nabla}^{2} \varphi=f(\boldsymbol{r}) is φ(r)=f(r)4πrrd3r.\varphi(\boldsymbol{r})=-\int \frac{f\left(\boldsymbol{r}^{\prime}\right)}{4 \pi\left|\boldsymbol{r}-\boldsymbol{r}^{\prime}\right|} d^{3} r^{\prime} . ]

(iv) Now consider the Einstein equations with a small positive cosmological constant, Gαβ+Λgαβ=8πTαβ,Λ=O(ϵ)>0G_{\alpha \beta}+\Lambda g_{\alpha \beta}=8 \pi T_{\alpha \beta}, \Lambda=\mathcal{O}(\epsilon)>0. Repeat the steps of questions (i)-(iii), again identifying h00=2Φh_{00}=-2 \Phi, to show that the Newtonian limit is now described by the Poisson equation 2Φ=4πρΛ\vec{\nabla}^{2} \Phi=4 \pi \rho-\Lambda, and that a solution for the potential of a point particle is given by

Φ=MrBr2\Phi=-\frac{M}{r}-B r^{2}

where BB is a constant you should determine. Briefly discuss the effect of the Br2B r^{2} term and determine for which range of the radius rr the weak-field limit is a justified approximation. [Hint: Absorb the term Λgαβ\Lambda g_{\alpha \beta} as part of the energy-momentum tensor. Note also that in spherical symmetry 2f=1r2r2(rf)\vec{\nabla}^{2} f=\frac{1}{r} \frac{\partial^{2}}{\partial r^{2}}(r f).]