The Principle of Minimal Gravitational Coupling

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title/Conference

Archive for Rational Mechanics and Analysis

Volume

75

Issue

4

Publication Date

12-1981

First Page

349

Last Page

372

Abstract

The principle of minimal gravitational coupling requires that the total Lagrangian for the field equations of general relativity consist of two additive parts, one part corresponding to the free gravitational Lagrangian and the other part to external source fields in curved spacetime. For source fields characterized by scalars, vectors and two-component spinors we prove that this additive decomposition of the total Lagrangian is an inevitable consequence of certain very general assumptions concerning the Euler-Lagrange expressions arising from the total Lagrangian.

Comments

Published by Springer in Archive of Rational Mechanics and Analysis. Publisher PDF is available through link above. Publisher requires a subscription to access article.

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