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General Relativity: Problem Set 6

Due March 12, 2014

1) (Postponed from Problem Set 5) Consider a rectangular solid in flat spacetime with
sides oriented along the (t, x, y, z)-axes of an inertial (i.e., freely-falling) frame. Suppose
that the dimensions of the edges are t, x, y, and z. Show that for any vector field
v(x),
Z
v Z
d4 x = d3 x(n v ),
V x V
where V is the 4-volume of the solid, V is its boundary (a 3-surface), and n is an appro-
priately chosen normal to the boundary surface.
a) What does appropriately chosen mean here? That is, how must n be chosen on both
the time-like and space-like surfaces for you to be able to prove this relation? Time-like
and space-like when applied to surfaces refer to the tangent vectors in these surfaces.
b) If v = 0 and the solid extends over all space (but not necessarily time), the right-
hand-side implies a conservation law. What is the conserved quantity that is matched on
the two space-like bounding surfaces?

2) (Postponed from Problem Set 5) Problem 8.2 Hobson et al.

3) Problem 8.5 Hobson et al.

4) Problem 8.7 Hobson et al.

5) Problem 8.11 Hobson et al.