Hamiltonian expression of curvature tensors in the York canonical basis: (II) Weyl tensor, Weyl scalars, Weyl eigenvalues and the problem of the observables of the gravitational field

Abstract

We find the Hamiltonian expression in the York basis of canonical ADM tetrad gravity of the 4-Weyl tensor of the asymptotically Minkowskian space-time. Like for the 4-Riemann tensor we find a radar tensor (whose components are 4-scalars due to the use of radar 4-coordinates), which coincides with the 4-Weyl tensor on-shell on the solutions of Einstein's equations. Then, by using the Hamiltonian null tetrads, we find the Hamiltonian expression of the Weyl scalars of the Newman–Penrose approach and of the four eigenvalues of the 4-Weyl tensor. After having introduced the Dirac observables (DOs) of canonical gravity, whose determination requires the solution of the super-Hamiltonian and super-momentum constraints, we discuss the connection of the DOs with the notion of 4-scalar Bergmann observables (BOs). Due to the use of radar 4-coordinates these two types of observables coincide in our formulation of canonical ADM tetrad gravity. However, contrary to Bergmann proposal, the Weyl eigenvalues are shown not to be BOs, so that their relevance is only in their use (first suggested by Bergmann and Komar) for giving a physical identification as point-events of the mathematical points of the space-time 4-manifold. Finally we give the expression of the Weyl scalars in the Hamiltonian post-Minkowskian linearization of canonical ADM tetrad gravity in the family of (non-harmonic) 3-orthogonal Schwinger time gauges.