Divergence theorem question on hyperplanes

In summary, the conversation discusses a problem in linearized gravity involving a quantity t_{ab} and a total energy E = \int_{\Sigma}t_{00}d^{3}x, where \Sigma is a space-like hypersurface of a background flat space-time with perturbation. The goal is to show that this quantity is time translation invariant, and previous calculations show that \partial^{a}t_{ab} = 0. The conversation also mentions using the divergence theorem to get a surface integral over the boundary of \Sigma, but there are issues with orientability and compactification. The solution proposed involves using a metric d on \Sigma and taking the limit as the radius of a closed ball approaches infinity. However,
  • #1
WannabeNewton
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Hi guys, this is in regards to a problem from Wald from the section on linearized gravity. We have a quantity [itex]t_{ab}[/itex] very, very similar to the L&L pseudo tensor and have the quantity (a sort of total energy) [itex]E = \int_{\Sigma }t_{00}d^{3}x[/itex] where [itex]\Sigma [/itex] is a space - like hypersurface of a background flat space - time with perturbation. We must show this quantity is time translation invariant. We know, from previous calculations not shown here, that [itex]\partial ^{a}t_{ab} = 0[/itex] so in particular we know that [itex]\partial ^{0}t_{00} = -\partial ^{i}t_{i0}[/itex] where [itex]i = 1,2,3[/itex]. We also have that [itex]\partial _{0}E = -\partial ^{0}E[/itex] and so we proceed [itex]\partial _{0}E = -\partial ^{0}E = -\partial ^{0}\int_{\Sigma }t_{00}d^{3}x = -\int_{\Sigma }\partial ^{0}t_{00}d^{3}x = \int_{\Sigma }\partial ^{i}t_{i0}d^{3}x[/itex]. We also know that [itex]r\rightarrow \infty \Rightarrow t_{\mu \nu }\rightarrow 0 ,\forall \mu ,\nu [/itex]. Ideally, one would like to use the divergence theorem to get a surface integral over the boundary of this space - like hypersurface because, due to the boundary condition, the surface integrand will vanish identically on this boundary and therefore so will the surface integral thus giving us our desired result that [itex]\partial _{0}E = 0[/itex]. Now my initial idea in order to do this was to somehow compactify [itex]\Sigma [/itex] but I'm not sure how to formalize this plus there is the issue of orientability. I've seen very hand - wavy arguments about taking a closed ball of some radius and taking the limit as this radius approaches infinity but I have not seen a proof that this works not to mention this perturbed background flat space - time doesn't have that extra metric structure pre - imposed so we would have to invoke a theorem allowing us to place some metric on the manifold. Any and all help is appreciated, thank you!
 
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  • #2
Well following the technique from electromagnetism in [itex]\mathbb{R}^{3}[/itex]: by using the fact that we can endow [itex]\Sigma [/itex] with some metric [itex]d[/itex], we can claim that, by virtue of the respective limit theorem, if [itex]\bar{B_{r}(x)}\subseteq \Sigma [/itex] is a closed ball (with respect to this metric) then [itex]\int_{\Sigma }\partial ^{i}t_{i0}d^{3}x = lim_{r\rightarrow \infty }\int_{\bar{B_{r}(x)} }\partial ^{i}t_{i0}d^{3}x[/itex]. We would like to use the divergence theorem on this new integral next to the limit but to do that we would need to know that the closed balls of ever increasing radii are orientable and I have no idea how/if we can conclude that.
 

Related to Divergence theorem question on hyperplanes

1. What is the divergence theorem?

The divergence theorem, also known as Gauss's theorem, is a mathematical concept that relates the flow of a vector field through a closed surface to the behavior of the vector field inside the surface. It states that the flux (flow) of a vector field through a closed surface is equal to the volume integral of the divergence of the vector field over the region enclosed by the surface.

2. How does the divergence theorem apply to hyperplanes?

The divergence theorem can be applied to any type of surface, including hyperplanes. In this context, the theorem states that the flux of a vector field through a hyperplane is equal to the volume integral of the divergence of the vector field over the region enclosed by the hyperplane. This allows us to calculate the flux through a hyperplane by only considering the behavior of the vector field within the enclosed region.

3. What is a hyperplane?

A hyperplane is a geometric object that has one less dimension than the space it is embedded in. In other words, in a three-dimensional space, a hyperplane would be a two-dimensional flat surface. In higher dimensions, a hyperplane can be visualized as a flat sheet or a plane that divides the space into two parts. Hyperplanes are commonly used in mathematics and physics to study the behavior of vector fields and other mathematical concepts.

4. How is the divergence theorem derived for hyperplanes?

The divergence theorem can be derived for hyperplanes by using the fundamental theorem of calculus and the concept of divergence. By applying the fundamental theorem of calculus to the volume integral of the divergence of a vector field over a region enclosed by a hyperplane, we can show that it is equal to the flux of the vector field through the hyperplane. This derivation can be generalized to any type of surface, including hyperplanes.

5. What are some real-world applications of the divergence theorem on hyperplanes?

The divergence theorem has various applications in physics and engineering, such as fluid mechanics, electromagnetism, and heat transfer. For example, in fluid mechanics, the theorem can be used to calculate the flow of a fluid through a surface, such as the surface of a pipe or a nozzle. In electromagnetism, it is used to calculate the electric and magnetic fields around a charged object or a current-carrying wire. Additionally, the theorem is also used in numerical methods and simulations to solve complex problems involving vector fields on hyperplanes.

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