Tetrad for Schwarzschild metric, in terms of e

The following is a natural choice of orthonormal tetrad for an observer moving radially in Schwarzschild spacetime with “energy per unit rest mass” e:

    \begin{align*} e_{\hat 0}^\mu &= \left(e\Schw^{-1},\pm\eroot,0,0\right) \\ e_{\hat 1}^\mu &= \left(\pm\Schw^{-1}\eroot,e,0,0\right) \\ e_{\hat 2}^\mu &= \left(0,0,\frac{1}{r},0\right) \\ e_{\hat 3}^\mu &= \left(0,0,0,\frac{1}{r\sin\theta}\right) \end{align*}

The components are given in Schwarzschild coordinates. (The ± signs are not independent — they must be either both +1 or both -1. Note that e does not distinguish between inward and outward motion. There is additional freedom to define any of these vectors as their negative.)

We normally think of e as invariant, where there is a presumption of freely falling / geodesic motion, but even if not we can regard it as an instantaneous value.

\evec{0} is the 4-velocity computed previously. The other vectors can be obtained from substituting \gamma=e\Schw^{-1/2} and V=-\frac{1}{e}\sqrt{e^2-1+\frac{2M}{r}} into the tetrad here. \gamma is determined from -\fvec u\cdot\fvec u_{\rm obs}=\gamma and the equation for e above, then V follows from inverting \gamma\equiv(1-V^2)^{-1/2}. This orthonormal frame is useful for determining the object’s perspective, e.g. tidal forces, visual appearances, etc.

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