Alternative to the Palatini method: A new variational principle

Journal Article · Tue Jun 15 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Physical Review. D, Particles Fields

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVD.81.124019· OSTI ID:21408077

Goenner, Hubert ^[1]

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1. University of Goettingen - Institute for Theoretical Physics Friedrich-Hund-Platz 1 - D 37077 Goettingen (Germany)

A variational principle is suggested within Riemannian geometry, in which an auxiliary metric and the Levi Civita connection are varied independently. The auxiliary metric plays the role of a Lagrange multiplier and introduces nonminimal coupling of matter to the curvature scalar. The field equations are 2nd order PDEs and easier to handle than those following from the so-called Palatini method. Moreover, in contrast to the latter method, no gradients of the matter variables appear. In cosmological modeling, the physics resulting from the alternative variational principle will differ from the modeling using the standard Palatini method.

• OSTI ID: 21408077
• Journal Information: Physical Review. D, Particles Fields, Vol. 81, Issue 12; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.81.124019; (c) 2010 The American Physical Society; ISSN 0556-2821
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

97 MATHEMATICAL METHODS AND COMPUTING
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
COUPLING
FIELD EQUATIONS
METRICS
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
SIMULATION
VARIATIONAL METHODS
CALCULATION METHODS
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
EQUATIONS