Measure of rates of separation of trajectories from the geodesic deviation equation in a Fermi basis -- An analytical approach (Q2365801)

The geodesic deviation equation is a second order linear system of differential equations without dissipation whose coefficient matrix is symmetric and related to the Riemannian curvature tensor. According to the authors the eigenvalues of this matrix provide a finer characterization of the chaotic behaviour of a geodesic flow than the Lyapunov exponents. Applications are indicated in relativistic cosmology.