arXiv · 1802.00865
Essential core of the Hawking--Ellis types
Abstract
The Hawking-Ellis (Segre-Plebanski) classification of possible stress-energy tensors is an essential tool in analyzing the implications of the Einstein field equations in a more-or-less model-independent manner. In the current article the basic idea is to simplify the Hawking-Ellis type I, II, III, and IV classification by isolating the "essential core" of the type II, type III, and type IV stress-energy tensors; this being done by subtracting (special cases of) type I to simplify the (Lorentz invariant) eigenvalue structure as much as possible without disturbing the eigenvector structure. We will denote these "simplified cores" type II$_0$, type III$_0$, and type IV$_0$. These "simplified cores" have very nice and simple algebraic properties. Furthermore, types I and II$_0$ have very simple classical interpretations, while type IV$_0$ is known to arise semi-classically (in renormalized expectation values of standard stress-energy tensors). In contrast type III$_0$ stands out in that it has neither a simple classical interpretation, nor even a simple semi-classical interpretation. We will also consider the robustness of this classification considering the stability of the different Hawking-Ellis types under perturbations. We argue that types II and III are definitively unstable, whereas types I and IV are stable.
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Prado Martin-Moruno, Matt Visser. 2018-02-02. Essential core of the Hawking--Ellis types. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6382%2Faac147
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