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Define a manifold with coordinates .
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Define a metric .
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| (2.2) |
Here is the null tetrad we shall use for our examples. It is not the simplest null tetrad for the metric , but it serves well for illustration.
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| (2.3) |
Use GRQuery to check that NTetrad is a null tetrad for the metric .
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Example 1.
In this example we compute the NP Ricci scalars and the NP Weyl scalars directly from the null tetrad NTetrad.
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| (2.5) |
The individual values for the Ricci scalars are easily accessed as table entries:
Example 2.
Use the keyword argument output to find the complete set of NP Ricci scalars (some of which are just complex conjugates of others).
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| (2.8) |
Example 3.
Calculate the curvature tensor for the metric and use it to calculate the NP Weyl scalars.
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| (2.10) |
Example 4.
Calculate the NP Ricci scalars for a given Ricci tensor.
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| (2.11) |
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| (2.12) |
Example 5.
Let us check the computed values of the NP Ricci scalars in Example 1 against the definition given in the Description. For this we need the trace-free Ricci tensor and the individual vectors of the null tetrad.
| (2.13) |
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| (2.14) |
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1.
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2.
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3.
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| (2.17) |
4.
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5.
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6.
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Example 6.
When working with the NP formalism, it is usually advantageous to work with the anholonomic frame defined by the null tetrad. To create anholonomic frames in DifferentialGeometry, see FrameData.
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| (2.21) |
The basis of tangent vectors is now denoted by with dual basis .
Note that in the null tetrad frame, the metric has the following standard form.
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| (2.23) |
Compute the Weyl Scalars using the anholonomic frame.
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| (2.24) |
In this setting the NP Weyl scalars can be read-off directly from the components of the Weyl tensor using the DGinfo command. First compute the Weyl tensor from the metric in the anholonomic frame.
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1.
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or, equivalently,
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2.
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3.
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4.
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5.
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Example 7.
The NP curvature scalars can also be computed from the NP spin coefficients using the NP Ricci identities. First compute the spin coefficients.
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| (2.31) |
In the coordinate frame , the null tetrad must be specified as the 2nd argument.
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| (2.32) |
In the anholonomic frame , defined by the null tetrad NTetrad, no such 2nd argument is needed.
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| (2.34) |
Example 8.
The NP Weyl curvature scalars can also be computed from the Weyl spinor.
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To demonstrate this calling sequence, it is helpful to first define a basis for the symmetric, covariant rank 4 spinors.
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| (2.36) |
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| (2.37) |
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| (2.38) |
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Construct the general symmetric, covariant rank 4 spinor as a combination of .
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Calculate the NP Weyl curvature scalars from the spinor .
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| (2.41) |