Metric elasticity in a collapsing star: Gravitational radiation coupled to torsional motion.

Abstract

Torsional oscillatory matter motion as well as differential rotation couple via the linearized Einstein field equations to the gravitational degrees of freedom. For an arbitrary spherically symmetric background, such as that of a wildly pulsating or a catastrophically collapsing star, we exhibit (a) the strain tensor and (b) the corresponding stress-energy tensor. It is found that in the star there are two elasticity tensors. One expresses the familiar elasticity of matter, the other expresses the elasticity of the geometry. This metric elasticity is responsible for coupling the gravitational and matter degrees of freedom. The two coupled scalar wave equations for these degrees of freedom are exhibited. Also exhibited are their characteristics as well as the junction conditions for their solutions across any spherical surface of discontinuity.