Carminati-McLenaghan invariants

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In general relativity, the Carminati-McLenaghan invariants or CM scalars are a set of 16 scalar curvature invariants for the Riemann tensor. This set is usually supplemented with at least two additional invariants.

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[edit] Mathematical definition

The CM invariants consist of 6 real scalars plus 5 complex scalars, making a total of 16 invariants. They are defined in terms of the Weyl tensor Cabcd and its left (or right) dual {{}^\star C}_{acdb}, the Ricci tensor Rab, and the trace-free Ricci tensor

S_{ab} = R_{ab} - \frac{1}{4} \, R \, g_{ab}

In the following, it may be helpful to note that if we regard {S^a}_b as a matrix, then {S^a}_m \, {S^m}_b is the square of this matrix, so the trace of the square is {S^a}_b \, {S^b}_a, and so forth.

The real CM scalars are

  1. R = {R^m}_m (the trace of the Ricci tensor)
  2. R_1 = \frac{1}{4} \, {S^a}_b \, {S^b}_a
  3. R_2 = -\frac{1}{8} \, {S^a}_b \, {S^b}_c \, {S^c}_a
  4. R_3 = \frac{1}{16} \, {S^a}_b \, {S^b}_c \, {S^c}_d \, {S^d}_a
  5. M_3 = \frac{1}{16} \, S^{bc} \, S_{ef} \left( C_{abcd} \, C^{aefd} + {{}^\star C}_{abcd} \, {{}^\star C}^{aefd} \right)
  6. M_4 = -\frac{1}{32} \, S^{ag} \, S^{ef} \, {S^c}_d \, \left( {C_{ac}}^{db} \, C_{befg} + {{{}^\star C}_{ac}}^{db} \, {{}^\star C}_{befg} \right)

The complex CM scalars are

  1. W_1 = \frac{1}{8} \, \left( C_{abcd} + i \, {{}^\star C}_{abcd} \right) \, C^{abcd}
  2. W_2 = -\frac{1}{16} \, \left( {C_{ab}}^{cd} + i \, {{{}^\star C}_{ab}}^{cd} \right) \, {C_{cd}}^{ef} \, {C_{ef}}^{ab}
  3. M_1 = \frac{1}{8} \, S^{ab} \, S^{cd} \, \left( C_{acdb} + i \, {{}^\star C}_{acdb} \right)
  4. M_2 = \frac{1}{16} \, S^{bc} \, S_{ef} \, \left( C_{abcd} \, C^{aefd} - {{}^\star C}_{acdb} \, {{}^\star C}^{aefd} \right) + \frac{1}{8} \, i \, S^{bc} \, S_{ef} \, {{}^\star C}_{abcd} \, C^{aefd}
  5. M_5 = \frac{1}{32} \, S^{cd} \, S^{ef} \, \left( C^{aghb} + i \, {{}^\star C}^{aghb} \right) \, \left( C_{acdb} \, C_{gefh} + {{}^\star C}_{acdb} \, {{}^\star C}_{gefh} \right)

The CM scalars have the following degrees:

  1. R is linear,
  2. R_1, \, W_1 are quadratic,
  3. R_2, \, W_2, \, M_1 are cubic,
  4. R_3, \, M_2, \, M_3 are quartic,
  5. M_4, \, M_5 are quintic.

They can all be expressed directly in terms of the Ricci spinors and Weyl spinors, using Newman-Penrose formalism; see the link below.

[edit] Complete sets of invariants

In the case of spherically symmetric spacetimes or planar symmetric spacetimes, it is known that

R, \, R_1, \, R_2, \, R_3, \, \Re (W_1), \, \Re (M_1), \, \Re (M_2)
\frac{1}{32} \, S^{cd} \, S^{ef} \, C^{aghb} \, C_{acdb} \, C_{gefh}

comprise a complete set of invariants for the Riemann tensor. In the case of vacuum solutions, electrovacuum solutions and perfect fluid solutions, the CM scalars comprise a complete set. Additional invariants may be required for more general spacetimes; determining the exact number (and possible syzygies among the various invariants) is an open problem.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  • Carminati, J.; and McLenaghan, R. G. (1991). "Algebraic invariants of the Riemann tensor in a four-dimensional Lorentzian space". J. Math. Phys. 32: 3135–3140. doi:10.1063/1.529470. 

[edit] External links

  • The GRTensor II website includes a manual with definitions and discussions of the CM scalars.