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General relativistic quasi-local angular momentum continuity and the stability of strongly elliptic eigenvalue problems

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Date Issued:
2014
Summary:
In general relativity, angular momentum of the gravitational field in some volume bounded by an axially symmetric sphere is well-defined as a boundary integral. The definition relies on the symmetry generating vector field, a Killing field, of the boundary. When no such symmetry exists, one defines angular momentum using an approximate Killing field. Contained in the literature are various approximations that capture certain properties of metric preserving vector fields. We explore the continuity of an angular momentum definition that employs an approximate Killing field that is an eigenvector of a particular second-order differential operator. We find that the eigenvector varies continuously in Hilbert space under smooth perturbations of a smooth boundary geometry. Furthermore, we find that not only is the approximate Killing field continuous but that the eigenvalue problem which defines it is stable in the sense that all of its eigenvalues and eigenvectors are continuous in Hilbert space. We conclude that the stability follows because the eigenvalue problem is strongly elliptic. Additionally, we provide a practical introduction to the mathematical theory of strongly elliptic operators and generalize the above stability results for a large class of such operators.
Title: General relativistic quasi-local angular momentum continuity and the stability of strongly elliptic eigenvalue problems.
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Name(s): Wilder, Shawn M., author
Beetle, Christopher, Thesis advisor
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Department of Physics
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Date Created: 2014
Date Issued: 2014
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 87 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: In general relativity, angular momentum of the gravitational field in some volume bounded by an axially symmetric sphere is well-defined as a boundary integral. The definition relies on the symmetry generating vector field, a Killing field, of the boundary. When no such symmetry exists, one defines angular momentum using an approximate Killing field. Contained in the literature are various approximations that capture certain properties of metric preserving vector fields. We explore the continuity of an angular momentum definition that employs an approximate Killing field that is an eigenvector of a particular second-order differential operator. We find that the eigenvector varies continuously in Hilbert space under smooth perturbations of a smooth boundary geometry. Furthermore, we find that not only is the approximate Killing field continuous but that the eigenvalue problem which defines it is stable in the sense that all of its eigenvalues and eigenvectors are continuous in Hilbert space. We conclude that the stability follows because the eigenvalue problem is strongly elliptic. Additionally, we provide a practical introduction to the mathematical theory of strongly elliptic operators and generalize the above stability results for a large class of such operators.
Identifier: FA00004235 (IID)
Degree granted: Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2014.
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Includes bibliography.
Subject(s): Boundary element methods
Boundary value problems
Differential equations, Elliptic -- Numerical solutions
Differential equations, Partial -- Numerical solutions
Eigenvalues
Spectral theory (Mathematics)
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Sublocation: Digital Library
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004235
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Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.