TY - JOUR

T1 - On the energy-momentum density of gravitational plane waves

AU - Dereli, T.

AU - Tucker, R. W.

PY - 2004/3/21

Y1 - 2004/3/21

N2 - By embedding Einstein's original formulation of general relativity into a broader context, we show that a dynamic covariant description of gravitational stress–energy emerges naturally from a variational principle. A tensor TG is constructed from a contraction of the Bel tensor with a symmetric covariant second degree tensor field Φ and has a form analogous to the stress–energy tensor of the Maxwell field in an arbitrary spacetime. For plane-fronted gravitational waves helicity-2 polarized (graviton) states can be identified carrying non-zero energy and momentum.

AB - By embedding Einstein's original formulation of general relativity into a broader context, we show that a dynamic covariant description of gravitational stress–energy emerges naturally from a variational principle. A tensor TG is constructed from a contraction of the Bel tensor with a symmetric covariant second degree tensor field Φ and has a form analogous to the stress–energy tensor of the Maxwell field in an arbitrary spacetime. For plane-fronted gravitational waves helicity-2 polarized (graviton) states can be identified carrying non-zero energy and momentum.

U2 - 10.1088/0264-9381/21/6/013

DO - 10.1088/0264-9381/21/6/013

M3 - Journal article

VL - 21

SP - 1459

EP - 1464

JO - Classical and Quantum Gravity

JF - Classical and Quantum Gravity

SN - 1361-6382

IS - 6

ER -