Christoel Symbols and Special Coordinate Systems

Notes for GR-I - CCD Some Relations for a bc

We can write the Christoel symbols (of the second kind) as:
1 me m gae|b + gbe|a gab|e ab = 2 g

(1)

Since this is symmetric in the two lower indices, in 4-D there will be 4 10 = 40 independent components of i ab . Since gab is also symmetric, there will be 10 4 = 40 independent partial f derivatives gab|c , where we recall the notation that f|c = x c . The equality of these counts a and the form of the expression for bc suggests that we can invert the relationship, and m express the gab|c in terms of the a bc . Contracting the expression for ab with gmi , we have gmi m ab = = =
1 g g me 2 mi 1 e 2 i 1 2

gae|b + gbe|a gab|e

(2) (3) (4)

gae|b + gbe|a gab|e

gai|b + gbi|a gab|i

If we swap the indices i and a in the last expression, we have gma m ib =

1 2

gia|b + gba|i gib|a

(5)

Adding and using the symmetry of gab , we have

m gia|b = gmi m ab + gma ib

(6)

Thus we know that the Christoel symbols and the partial derivatives of the metric tensor contain the same information, Further since we already know that the Christoel symbols are not tensorial, it follows that the partial derivatives of the metric are not tensorial either.

The Determinant of the Metric

Consider the determinant g = |gab | of the metric tensor components. Since g is an algebraic expression of the components, we can write g g = gia|b b x (gia )

(7)

c Charles C. Dyer

We now consider the usual cofactor expansion of the determinant g in the ith row, for which we have gia Gia No sum on i (8) g=
a

where Gia are the cofactors of the ith row of the determinant. Considered as a matrix, there is an inverse matrix to gia , with components g ia . From standard matrix algebra we can obtain that inverse matrix in terms of the cofactors in the determinant, so that we then have g g ia = Gia (9) We can then use the cofactor expansion of g to write g = (gia ) (gia ) so that we have gia Gia
a

No sum on i

(10)

g = Gia = g g ia (gia ) g = g g ia gia|b xb m = g g ia (gmi m ab + gma ib ) = = =

a m i g m ab + m m ib a m g (ab + mb ) 2g a ab

(11)

using our result for Gia . We can now write (12) (13) (14) (15) (16)

A particularly useful form of this result, particularly when densities or volume elements are involved, is 1 g ln g = = a (17) ab b x 2g xb We have used g since the metric of spacetime can be diagonalized to have (+ ) or ( + ++) on the diagonal, so that the determinant g = |g | will be negative.

Special Coordinate Systems

While we wish to express fundamental equations in a general coordinate system, there are many applications of these covariant equations take on a particularly simple form when the choice of coordinates is well adapted to the application. Orthogonal Coordinate: In this system, the coordinate curves mesh together orthogonally, so that the line element has the form ds2 = g00 dx0 + g11 dx1 + g22 dx2 + g33 dx3
2 2 2 2

(18)

so that gab = 0 for a = b. Thus if we start from a general coordinate system xa , then the transformation to the orthogonal coordinate system, xa , we have the partial dierential equations xa xb ga b =0 a=b (19) xa xb Thus we have six partial dierential equations for only four functions, xa = xa (xc ). Thus the orthogonal coordinate system does not always exist. For example in a dierentially rotating system, there will be an essential cross-term of the form d dt. Thus this cannot allow an orthogonal coordinate system. Time Orthogonal Coordinate: In this system we require that there be no cross-term between the time coordinate, x0 , and the spatial coordinates x , where = 1, 2, 3. Thus we require g0 = 0 and by matrix inversion g 0 = 0. Proceeding as above, we now have the partial dierential equations ga b x x0 =0 xa xb (20)

Since = 1, 2, 3 we have three partial dierential equations. We are thus free to choose x0 (xb ) and then we can use the three partial dierential equations to determine the three functions x (xb ). Thus we can always transform to time orthogonal coordinates, so that the line element can be written as ds2 = g00 dx0 + g dx dx
2

(21)

Using the freedom in choosing x0 (xb ). we can go further and ensure that g00 = 1. Such coordinates are called synchronous coordinates or Gaussian coordinates. Comoving Coordinates Suppose that the tangent vector to some time-like curve, , described by the functions c x (), is uc = dxc /d. Suppose we wish to nd a coordinate transformation that transforms the components of the vector uc to so that in the new system, all the spatial components are 0. Thus we must be able to nd the transformation so that x n u =0 xn (22)

Since there are thus only three partial dierential equations, it is always possible to dene these coordinates, which are called comoving coordinates. Of course this simply means that any time-like observer is able to dene coordinates in their own lab! Local Minkowski Coordinates At the origin choose orthogonal coordinates, if that is possible, since we have already seen that this is not always possible in the neighbourhood of the point in the manifold. Presuming for the moment that it is possible, rescale each coordinate by the square root of the corresponding diagonal metric component. The line element can then be written as ds2 = dx0 + dx1 + dx2 + dx3 3
2 2 2 2

(23)

but requiring that this be the line element of special relativity in the limit at the point, we can write this as 2 2 2 2 ds2 = dx0 dx1 dx2 dx3 (24) where we have chosen the signature {+, , , }. We could also have chosen the signature {, +, +, +}. It is important to keep in mind that this reduction to the Minkowski metric was only valid at the point (the contact point ) and that this does not allow for the discussion of derivative concepts. Further, a singularity, such as the vertex of a cone or a sharp bend in the manifold (like a fold in a piece of paper), could prevent a reduction to local Minkowski form. Locally Geodesic Coordinates The aim here is to nd a coordinate system such that, at least in a small non-empty neighbourhood of the point P, the coordinate curves are themselves geodesics. One approach is to note that this is equivalent to requiring that the geodesic equations in this neighbourhood reduce to the form d2 xc =0 (25) d2 Thus in this system, we must have a bc = 0 at P. Based on our discussion of the inhomogeneous transformation law for the components of a bc , we do know that we can nd a coordinates in which bc = 0. It useful to consider this situation in a bit more detail, particularly in terms of the nature of the contact between the manifold at P and the tangent space at that point. Suppose that we have introduced Minkowski coordinates in the tangent space at P, so that the metric in that tangent space is mn = diag(1, 1, 1, 1) (26)

Then we can show that the metric on the manifold inherited by projecting the metric from the tangent space to M is, to second order in the coordinates with origin at P is
1 dmnab (0)xa xb + gmn (xa ) = mn + 2

(27)

The lack of a rst order term is required for a smooth and close contact at P. We will demonatrate that this is possible below. Based on this metric, we have immediately that gmn|c = 0 at xa = 0, ie. at P. Thus a exactly at P we have a bc = 0, but bc will in general not vanish away from P. We now show that we can always nd the coordinate system where a bc = 0. At the a a point P , write the general metric g mn ( x ) in the x coordinates, where we take x a = 0 at P . (Note that here we are putting the mark on the object rather than the indices, since in this calculation, this is clearer.) We can then write the Taylor expansion about P : g mn ( xa ) = g mn (0) + g mn|i (0) xi + We now choose new coordinates xa with xa = 0 at P , dened as a (0) xa = x a + 1 xm x n + 2 mn 4 (29) (28)

Inverting these transformations, we have, to relevant order a (0)xm xn + x a = xa 1 2 mn The Jacobian transformation matrix then has components x a a a (0) = n xm + mn n x so that the metric transforms to
a a (0) xi gmn = g ab n in b b (0) xk + H.O. m km

(30)

(31)

(32)

We then have the result b (0) a (0) g nb (0) gmn|s (0) = g mn|s (0) g am (0) sm sn Since we have already shown that, in any coordinate system:
m gia|b = gmi m ab + gma ib

(33)

(34)

we have that gmn|s = 0 and thus a bc = 0 with the coordinate system we have constructed. Having conrmed that we can always nd the coordinate system where a bc = 0, it follows that we can always nd the system where the geodesic equations take the simple form: d2 xa =0 (35) d2 Thus the coordinate curves in this system are locally geodesic curves. Since at this point, the observer xed in these coordinates has no forces acting them on in the sense of Newtons equations of motion, these coordinates dene locally the instantaneous free-falling lab frame. These coordinates are sometimes called locally at coordinates, but this is a very bad description, since the idea of local atness leads to misconceptions. Flatness, or the lack of it, called curvature, can only be dened over a region. We will see later that it is exactly the fact that locally geodesic coordinates cannot be extended in the general (ie. non-at) case that allows us to dene the Riemann curvature tensor.