Phys 231A Fall 2014

Assignment 4 Solutions

Problem 1
Lets do this the fast way - to set up the variation principle, let
dx dx
Z Z Z
I = L d g d = 2 (x 2 t2 ).
d d
Here dots denote derivatives with respect to . Varying L with respect to x we find
L L
= 2(x ) (x 2 t2 ), = 22 x.

x x
From the variational principle (i.e. the Euler-Lagrange equations) we have

d
22 x 2(x ) (x 2 t2 )

0 =
d
= 4 (x )x 2 + 4(t )tx + 22 x 2(x ) (x 2 t2 )
= 22 x + 2 (x )x 2 + 4(t )tx + 2(x )t2 ,

which after dividing by 22 is

1 2 1
x + (x )x 2 + (t )tx + (x )t2 = 0.

From this we read off the Christoffel symbols
1 1 1
xxx = (x ), xxt = (t ), xtt = (x ).

Likewise, varying L with respect to t we find
L L
= 2(t ) (x 2 t2 ), = 22 x,

t t
and just as we did above we can use the variational principle to arrive at
1 2 1
t + (t )t2 + (x )x t + (t )x 2 = 0,

and thus read off the Christoffel symbols
1 1 1
txx = (t ), txt = (x ), ttt = (t ).

In two dimensions the Riemann has only one linearly independant component, which we
readily compute from the definition of the Riemann:

Rxtxt = x xtt t xxt + xx tt xt xt

(t )2 (x )2 x2 t2
= + .
2 2
Carroll, Chapter 3, Problem 5
a) First we need to find the geodesic equations and, from them, the Christoffel symbols.
Again, we use the variational principle. In the metric ds2 = d2 +sin2 d2 , the relevant
Lagrangian looks like

1 1 2
L= g x x = + sin2 2
2 2

from which we find the Euler-Lagrange equations

sin cos 2 = 0
+ 2 cot = 0

and the nonvanishing Christoffel symbols

= sin cos , = cot

We want to see whether the curves

x () = (, 0 )
x () = (0 , )

satisfy the geodesic equations. Plugging in the first gives

0 sin cos (0)2 = 0 X

0 + 2 cot (0)(1) = 0 X

so meridians are indeed geodesics. As for parallels, we have

0 sin 0 cos 0 (1)2 = 0

0 2 cot 0 (1)(0) = 0 X

It must be the case that 0 = /2 for the first equation to be satisfied (we are not
interested in the trivial cases 0 = 0, 2).

b) Let V = [1, 0], and parallel transport it once around x () = (0 , ). The equations
of parallel transport are

dx dx
V + V =0
d d
d
V = sin 0 cos 0 V
d
d
V = cot 0 V
d

Differentiating both equations a second time gives

d2
V = cos2 0
d2
d2
2
V = cos2 0
d

Let = cos 0 . These equations have the general solution

V0
V () = V0 cos() + sin()

The initial velocities of V are

V0 = sin 0 cos 0 V0
V0 = cot 0 V0

Then the solution is

" #
cos() (sin 0 ) sin()

V () V0
V () = =

V () 1
sin 0 sin() cos() V0

So, as we parallel transport the vector around a circle on the sphere, it rotates. Note
that the transformation matrix preserves the length of the vector, in the S 2 metric.
Carroll Chapter 3, problem 6
(a) For this problem we use the Newtonian metric
GM
ds2 = (1 + 2)dt2 + (1 2)dr2 + r2 (d2 + sin2 d2 ), := (r) = .
r
Consider a static observer who remains at fixed spatial position. Without loss of
generality we can take her angular coordinates to be = = 0. Thus her position and
4-velocity vectors are

Xs = (t, R, 0, 0), Us = (1, 0, 0, 0).

Lets compute the proper time our observer experiences in one unit of coordinate time
t:
Z 1h i1/2 Z 1h i1/2

s = g Us Us dt = 1 + 2(R) dt
0 0
i1/2 1/2
h 2GM
= 1 + 2(R) = 1 .
R
Restoring c we have
1/2
2GM
s = 1 2 .
cR
Now consider two such observers (1 and 2) at two radii R2 and R1 with R2 > R1 . We
see that observer 2 experiences more proper time than observer 1.

(b) Lets solve the geodesic equation in this spacetime. After griding away by hand or
with the help of a computer one finds the following equations of motion. Letting dots
denote derivatives with respect to an affine parameter and primes denote derivatives
with respect to r, we have
20
t = tr,
1 + 2
r 2 r sin2 2 0 2 0
r = + + t + r 2 ,
1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2
2
= r + cos sin 2 ,
r
2
= r 2 cot .
r
We want to consider circular orbits, so we can without loss of generality set = /2,
r = = 0. This leaves just one equation, which upon inserting the definition of is

0 = GM t2 + r3 2 ,
r
GM
= t.
r3
Its clear that we can set = t, yielding an equation for as a function of t:
r
GM
(t) = t.
r3
Thus circular orbits are described by the position and 4-velocity vectors
r ! r !
GM GM
Xc = t, R, /2, t , Uc = 1, 0, 0, .
R3 R3

Note that our solution for := d/dt agrees with the classical result. Namely, the
acceleration due to gravity can be written as
r
GM v2 r2 2 GM
ac = 2 = = , = .
r r r r3

(c) Lets compute the proper time experienced by the observer Xc over one orbit. Let
r
2 R3
T = = 2 .
GM
Then
Z T h i1/2 Z T h i1/2
c = g Uc Uc dt = (1 + 2) R2 sin2 2 dt
0 0
1/2
3GM R
= 1 T = 2R 3
R GM

or, restoring c,
1/2
R 3
c = 2R 2
GM c
To see how much time elapses for a satellite skimming the surface of the Earth, we
input

R = 6.38 106 m, M = 5.97 1024 kg, G = 6.67 1011 m2 N/kg2 , c = 3.00 108 m/s,

giving us c = 5069s.

(d) We are asked to compare the proper time elapsed for a static observer on Earth and an
observer in circular orbit on a GPS satellite over one orbit. We take the GPS satellite
to be at a radius 4.2 R.

t = T = 43630.9264114 s,
1/2
2GM
s = 1 2 T = 43630.9263811 s,
cR
1/2
3GM
c = 1 2 T = 43630.9264006 s.
c (4.2R)

Note that the satellite experiences less proper time than the Earth observer about
2 105 s less.
Carroll Chapter 3, Problem 8
(a) The metric is:
ds2 = d 2 + sin2 (d2 + sin2 d2 ).
Once more, we can compute the Christoffel symbols efficiently by using the variational
principle. Alternatively, one could compute the Christoffel symbols by brute force:
1
= g ( g + g g ) .
2
I will calculate a few explicitly and state the results for the others.
1 1 1
= g ( g + g g ) = ( g + g g ) = g
2 2 2
In the above I have used the fact that g = 1. Now it is clear that
= sin cos ,
= sin cos sin2 .
Using the same equation again we find the other nonvanishing components are:
cos
= = ,
sin
= cos sin ,
cos
= = ,
sin
cos
= = .
sin
(b)
R = , , + .
Using the expressions for s from part (a) we find:
R = 0
So, lets calculate some other components, for example:
R = , , + .
Substituting s we find:
R = sin2 ,
R = sin2 sin2 ,
R = sin2 sin2 .
All other components are either zero or are related via symmetries. From above we see
that R = 0 whenever 6= . Lets find the nonzero components of the Ricci tensor.
R = R + R + R
= g R + g R
= g g R + g g R
1 1
= 2 sin2 + sin2 sin2 = 2.
sin sin sin2
2
Doing similar manipulations we find:
R = 2 sin2 ,
R = 2 sin2 sin2 .
An observation: the Ricci tensor is proportional to the metric! This is a consequence
of the fact that this is a space has constant curvature, as we can verify by calculating
Ricci scalar:
R = g R + g R + g R = 2 + 2 + 2 = 6.
(c) Lets define:
R
T = (g g g g ) = g g g g .
n(n 1)
where we used R = 6 in the last step. First, note that T = T , T =
T and T = T . Second, note that since g is diagonal, it is easy to see
that
T = T = T = 0.
Now,
T = g g = sin2 = g R = R .
Similarly,
T = sin2 sin2 = R ,
T = sin4 sin2 = R .
Thats all. We dont have to check anything else. Other components are related by
symmetry. Therefore, the space is maximally symmetric. The space is S 3 with the
usual metric induced from R4 .

Problem 5
(a) The metric is:
ds2 = dt2 + d 2 + sin2 (d2 + sin2 d2 ).
To find the curvature tensor, note that this problem is just like the previous problem,
but with the addition of a time direction with gtt = 1. In particular, t g = 0 and
gtt = 0. As a result, any Christoffel symbol with a t index vanishes. Thus, any
component of the Riemann tensor involving t vanishes as well. In calculating the other
components (with no t index), the calculations are identical to the problems above and
the results are of course the same.
(b) To show that R = 0, we will divide the analysis into two cases. First, consider
any vector v for which v t = 0. Then v R is identical to a covariant derivative
of R on the 3-sphere. But the 3-sphere is maximally symmetric, so this vanishes.
On the other hand, since any Christoffel symbol with a t index vanishes we have
t R = t R = 0.

Now consider the possibility that R = Kg[ g] for some constant K. To show
this isnt possible, we need only examine the case = = t and = 6= t, for which
Rtt = 0 but g[ g] = gtt g 6= 0. Thus, the equation could hold only if K = 0. But
then the entire Riemann tensor would have to vanish. So, the equation cannot hold.