Energy-momentum tensor Definition and 60 Threads

  1. L

    I'm going crazy (Electromagnetic Energy-Momentum Tensor)

    Homework Statement The problem is conveniently located here: http://www.dur.ac.uk/resources/cpt/graduate/lectures/mscps.pdf Problem no. 31. There's even a solution, here: http://www.dur.ac.uk/resources/cpt/graduate/lectures/grsolns.pdf However, I don't understand the solution...
  2. K

    Origin of the Maxwell energy-momentum tensor?

    Electrodynamics force is f_i=F_{ik}j^k=F_{ik}\partial_j F^{jk}. I claim that the only way to obtain the Maxwell energy-momentum tensor T_i^j=-F_{ik}F^{jk}+\delta_i^jF_{kl}F^{kl}/4 is to write the force as a divergence: f_i=-\partial_jT_i^j.
  3. B

    Why is energy-momentum tensor Lorentz invariant?

    I'm studying General Relativity and facing several problems. We know that energy-momentum must be Lorentz invariant in locally inertial coordinates. I am not sure I understand this point clearly. What is the physics behind?
  4. M

    Beta functions and the energy-momentum tensor

    Hi all, In Polchinski's string theory text he asserts (volume 1, section 3.4) that the trace of the energy-momentum tensor of a classically scale -invariant theory becomes proportional in the quantum theory to the beta function of the coupling, as a general point of QFT. This makes a kind of...
  5. H

    General Relativity, Energy-momentum tensor

    Homework Statement In Minkowski space, we are given a scalar field \phi with action S= \int d\Omega (\frac{-1}{2}\phi^{,a}\phi_{,a} - \frac{1}{2}m^2\phi^2) We need to calculate the "translation-invariance" energy-momentum tensor: T^a_b = \frac{\partial \mathcal{L}}{\partial \phi_{,a}}...
  6. E

    Conservation of Energy-Momentum Tensor

    Homework Statement 1) Use conservation of Energy-Momentum Tensor to show that \partial_{0}^{2}T^{00}=\partial_{m}\partial_{n}T^{mn} Homework Equations \partial_{\nu}T^{\mu\nu}=0 The Attempt at a Solution \partial_{\nu}T^{\mu\nu}=0...
  7. R

    Energy-momentum tensor and conservation of both energy and momentum

    Hi, I believe you can use the "energy-momentum tensor" to express the conservation of both energy and momentum for fields (\partial_{\mu} T^{\mu \nu} = 0). But I'm wondering: why's a tensor needed, specifically, to describe this conservation of energy and momentum for fields? For particles, I...
  8. K

    Energy-momentum tensor for a scalar field (sign problem)

    Hi I have a small subtle problem with the sign of the energy-momentum tensor for a scalar field as derived by varying the metric (s.b.). I would appreciate very much if somebody could help me on my specific issue. Let me describe the problem in more detail: I conform to the sign convention...
  9. L

    Energy-Momentum Tensor: Exploring Einstein-Hilbert Action

    I was wondering if someone could clarify something that I read in a book (Nakahara's book on Geometry, Topology, Physics). In the section on the Einstein-Hilbert action, the author defines the energy-momentum tensor as \delta S_M = \frac{1}{2} \int T^{\mu \nu} \delta g_{\mu \nu} \sqrt{- g} d^4...
  10. H

    The energy-momentum tensor and the equivalence principle

    Is it correct that the only way to have a theory of gravitation that fulfills the equivalence principle is to make use of a tensor as the source of gravity (and not a scalar or a vector, for example)? How can this be proven?
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