Classification of local generalized symmetries for the vacuum Einstein equations

Abstract: A generalized symmetry of a system of differential equations is an infinitesimal transformation depending locally upon the fields and their derivatives which carries solutions to solutions. We classify all generalized symmetries of the vacuum Einstein equations in four spacetime dimensions. To begin, we analyze symmetries that can be built from the metric, curvature, and covariant derivatives of the curvature to any order; these are called natural symmetries and are globally defined on any spacetime manifold. We next classify first-order generalized symmetries, that is, symmetries that depend on the metric and its first derivatives. Finally, using results from the classification of natural symmetries, we reduce the classification of all higher-order generalized symmetries to the first-order case. In each case we find that the generalized symmetries are infinitesimal generalized diffeomorphisms and constant metric scalings. There are no non-trivial conservation laws associated with these symmetries. A novel feature of our analysis is the use of a fundamental set of spinorial coordinates on the infinite jet space of Ricci-flat metrics, which are derived from Penrose's ``exact set of fields for the vacuum equations.

Review text

As is known, to account for all conservation laws in Lagrangian field theories, the notion of symmetry must be enlarged to include generalized symmetries. These are infinitesimal transformations (depending upon the fields and their derivatives) which carry solutions to solutions. Using a fundamental set of spinorial coordinates on the infinite jet space of Ricci-flat metrics, derived from Penrose's ``exact set of fields for the vacuum equations, the authors analyse the natural symmetries (built from the metric, curvature and its covariant derivatives to any order), classify the first-order generalized symmetries and explicitly reduce the classification of all higher-order generalized symmetries to the first-order case. It turns out that there are no non-trivial conservation laws and all the local generalized symmetries of Einstein's field equations for four-dimensional empty spacetimes are infinitesimal generalized diffeomorphisms and constant metric scalings. A firm step along the enhanced analysis of the gravitational field hidden generalized symmetries existence would be important not only for the solution generating classification techniques but also for the whole set of definitions and concrete technical use of the true gravitational field observables.

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