The Kummer tensor density in electrodynamics and in gravity

DOI10.1016/J.AOP.2014.06.007MaRDI QIDQ305275zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Peter Baekler, Alberto Favaro, Yakov Itin, Friedrich W. Hehl

Publication date 29 August 2016

Published in Annals of Physics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1403.3467

zbMATH Keywords

Fresnel surfacegeneral relativityKummer tensorPoincaré gauge theorypremetric electrodynamicsprincipal null directions

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Electromagnetic fields in general relativity and gravitational theory (83C50)

Abstract: Guided by results in the premetric electrodynamics of local and linear media, we introduce on 4-dimensional spacetime the new abstract notion of a Kummer tensor density of rank four, ${calK}^{ijkl}$. This tensor density is, by definition, a cubic algebraic functional of a tensor density of rank four ${calT}^{ijkl}$, which is antisymmetric in its first two and its last two indices: ${calT}^{ijkl}=-{calT}^{jikl}=-{calT}^{ijlk}$. Thus, $calKsim{calT}^3$, see Eq.(46). (i) If $calT$ is identified with the electromagnetic response tensor of local and linear media, the Kummer tensor density encompasses the generalized {it Fresnel wave surfaces} for propagating light. In the reversible case, the wave surfaces turn out to be {it Kummer surfaces} as defined in algebraic geometry (Bateman 1910). (ii) If $calT$ is identified with the {it curvature} tensor $R^{ijkl}$ of a Riemann-Cartan spacetime, then $calKsim{R}^3$ and, in the special case of general relativity, $calK$ reduces to the Kummer tensor of Zund (1969). This $calK$ is related to the {it principal null directions} of the curvature. We discuss the properties of the general Kummer tensor density. In particular, we decompose $calK$ irreducibly under the 4-dimensional linear group $GL(4,R)$ and, subsequently, under the Lorentz group $SO(1,3)$.

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• Mathematica
• REDUCE

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