Pseudotensors and Quasilocal Energy-Momentum

Abstract

Early energy-momentum investigations for gravitating systems gave reference-frame-dependent pseudotensors; later the quasilocal idea was developed. Quasilocal energy-momentum can be determined by the Hamiltonian boundary term, which also identifies the variables to be held fixed on the boundary. We show that a pseudotensor corresponds to a Hamiltonian boundary term. Hence, they are quasilocal and acceptable; each is the energy-momentum density for a definite physical situation with certain boundary conditions. These conditions are identified for well-known pseudotensors.