Decomposition conjecture for linear metric perturbations

Let habh_{ab} be a second-rank tensor field whose gauge transformation between gauge choices Xλ{\cal X}_{\lambda} and Yλ{\cal Y}_{\lambda} satisfies

YhabXhab=£ξ(1)gab.{}_{\cal Y}h_{ab}-{}_{\cal X}h_{ab}={\pounds}_{\xi_{(1)}}g_{ab}.

Decomposition conjecture. There exist a tensor field Hab{\cal H}_{ab} and a vector field XaX^a such that

hab=Hab+£Xgab,h_{ab}={\cal H}_{ab}+{\pounds}_{X}g_{ab},

with transformation laws

YHabXHab=0,YXaXXa=ξ(1)a.{}_{\cal Y}{\cal H}_{ab}-{}_{\cal X}{\cal H}_{ab}=0,\qquad {}_{\cal Y}X^a-{}_{\cal X}X^a=\xi^a_{(1)}.

This conjecture is the starting point for constructing gauge-invariant variables in linear-order metric perturbation theory: Hab{\cal H}_{ab} is gauge invariant, while XaX^a captures the gauge-variant part of the perturbation. The supplied source does not state whether the conjecture has been proved or disproved.

Sources & referencesView supporting material

Primary source

Kouji Nakamura, “Decomposition of linear metric perturbations on generic background spacetime – Toward higher-order general-relativistic gauge-invariant perturbation theory”, arXiv:1101.1147 (2011).

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