The Parametrized Post-Newtonian Formalism

After an introduction to theories of gravity alternative to general relativity, metric theories (Sec. 1) and the parametrized post-Newtonian (PPN) formalism (Sec. 2), we define a new class of metric theories of gravity (Sec. 3). It turns out that the post-Newtonian approximation of these new theories is not described by the PPN formalism (Sec. 4); in fact, in the limit of weak field and slow motions, the post-Newtonian expression of the metric tensor contains an, a priori, infinite set of new terms and correspondingly an, a priori, infinite set of new PPN parameters. As a consequence, the parametrized post-Newtonian formulas describing the classical relativistic tests should include these new parameters, and therefore the experimental values of the classical relativistic effects should not be used to put limits only on the standard ten PPN parameters. Finally, we note that a subset of this new class of theories has the same post-Newtonian limit and value of the PPN parameters as general relativity, and therefore is automatically in agreement with the classical general-relativistic tests (Sec. 4, theory III).

Increasing sophistication and precision of experimental tests of relativistic gravitation theories has led to the need for a detailed theoretical framework for analysing and interpreting these experiments. Such a framework is the Parametrized Post-Newtonian (PPN) formalism, which treats the post-Newtonian limit of arbitrary metric theories of gravity in terms of nine metric parameters, whose values vary from theory to theory. The theoretical and experimental foundations of the PPN formalism are laid out and discussed, and the detailed definitions and equations for the formalism are given. It is shown that some metric theories of gravity predict that a massive, self-gravitating body's passive gravitational mass should not be equal to its inertial mass, but should be an anisotropic tensor which depends on the body's self-gravitational energy (violation of the principle of equivalence). Two theorems are presented which probe the theoretical structure of the PPN formalism. They state that (i) a metric theory of gravity possesses post-Newtonian integral conservation laws if and only if its nine PP parameters have values which satisfy a set of seven constraint equations, and (ii) a metric theory of gravity is invariant under asymptotic Lorentz transformations if and only if its PPN parameters satisfy a set of three constraint equations. Some theories of gravity (including Whitehead's theory and theories which violate one of the Lorentz-invariance parameter constraints) are shown to predict an anisotropy in the Newtonian gravitational constant. Gravimeter data on the tides of the solid Earth are used to put an upper limit on the magnitude of the predicted anisotropy, and thence to rule out such theories.

Conservation of energy, momentum, and angular momentum in metric theories of gravity is studied extensively both in Lagrangian formulations (using generalized Bianchi identities) and in the post-Newtonian limit of general metric theories. Our most important results are the following: (i) The matter response equations $T_{}^{\ensuremath{\mu}\ensuremath{\nu}}{}_{;\ensuremath{\nu}}{}^{}=0$ of any Lagrangian-based, generally covariant metric theory (LBGCM theory) are a consequence of the gravitational-field equations if and only if the theory contains no absolute variables. (ii) Almost all LBGCM theories possess conservation laws of the form $\ensuremath{\theta}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}^{}{}_{}{}^{\ensuremath{\nu}}{}_{,\ensuremath{\nu}}{}^{}{}_{}{}^{}=0$ (where $\ensuremath{\theta}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}^{}{}_{}{}^{\ensuremath{\nu}}$ reduces to $T_{\ensuremath{\mu}}^{}{}_{}{}^{\ensuremath{\nu}}$ in the absence of gravity). (iii) $\ensuremath{\theta}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}^{}{}_{}{}^{\ensuremath{\nu}}$ is always expressible in terms of a superpotential, $\ensuremath{\theta}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}^{}{}_{}{}^{\ensuremath{\nu}}=\ensuremath{\Lambda}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}^{}{}_{}{}^{[\ensuremath{\nu}\ensuremath{\alpha}]}{}_{,\ensuremath{\alpha}}{}^{}{}_{}{}^{}$, If the superpotential $\ensuremath{\Lambda}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}^{}{}_{}{}^{[\ensuremath{\nu}\ensuremath{\alpha}]}$ can be expressed in terms of asymptotic values of field quantities, then the conserved integral ${P}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}=\ensuremath{\int}\ensuremath{\theta}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}^{}{}_{}{}^{\ensuremath{\nu}}{d}^{3}{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}_{\ensuremath{\nu}}$ can be measured by experiments confined to the asymptotically flat region outside the source. (iv) In the Will-Nordtvedt ten-parameter post-Newtonian (PPN) formalism there exists a conserved ${P}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}$ if and only if the parameters obey five specific constraints; two additional constraints are needed for the existence of a conserved angular momentum ${J}_{\ensuremath{\mu}\ensuremath{\nu}}$ (This modifies and extends a previous result due to Will.) (v) We conjecture that for metric theories of gravity, the conservation of energy-momentum is equivalent to the existence of a Lagrangian formulation; and using the PPN formalism, we prove the post-Newtonian limit of this conjecture. (vi) We present "stress-energy-momentum complexes" $\ensuremath{\theta}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}^{}{}_{}{}^{\ensuremath{\nu}}$ for all currently viable metric theories known to us.

We present a package for the computer algebra system Mathematica, which implements the parametrized post-Newtonian (PPN) formalism. This package, named xPPN, is built upon the widely used tensor algebra package suite xAct, and in particular the package xTensor therein. The main feature of xPPN is to provide functions to perform a proper 3+1 decomposition of tensors, as well as a perturbative expansion in so-called velocity orders, which are central tasks in the PPN formalism. Further, xPPN implements various rules for quantities appearing in the PPN formalism, which aid in perturbatively solving the field equations of any metric theory of gravity. Besides Riemannian geometry, also teleparallel and symmetric teleparallel geometry are implemented.

The increasing importance of relativistic gravity in astrophysics has led to the need for a detailed analysis of theories of gravity and their viability. Accordingly, in this thesis, metric theories of gravity are compiled, and are classified into four groups: (i) general relativity (ii) scalar-tensor theories (iii) conformally flat theories and (iv) stratified theories. The post-Newtonian limit of each theory is constructed and its Parametrized Post-Newtonian (PPN) values are obtained. These results, when combined with experimental data and with recent work by Nordtvedt and Will, show that, of all theories thus far examined by our group, the only currently viable ones are (i) general relativity, (ii) the Bergmann-Wagoner scalar-tensor theory and its special cases (Nordtvedt; Brans-Dicke-Jordan, (iii) recent, (as yet unpublished ) vector-tensor theory by Nordtvedt, Hellings, and Will, and (iv) a new stratified theory by the author, which is presented for the first time in this thesis. The PPN formalism is used to analyze stellar stability in any metric theory of gravity. This analysis enables one to infer, for any given gravitation theory, the extent to which post-Newtonian effects induce instabilities in white dwarfs, in neutron stars, and in supermassive stars. It also reveals the extent to which our current empirical knowledge of post-Newtonian gravity (based on solar-system experiments) actually guarantees that relativistic instabilities exist. In particular, it shows that for conservative theories of gravity, current solar-system experiments gua­rantee that relativistic corrections do induce dynamical instabilities in stars with adiabatic indices slightly greater than 4/3, while for non-conservative theories, current experiments do not permit any firm conclusion.

Einstein’s theory of gravity has been extensively tested on solar system scales, and for isolated astrophysical systems, using the perturbative framework known as the parameterized post-Newtonian (PPN) formalism. This framework is designed for use in the weak-field and slow-motion limit of gravity, and can be used to constrain a large class of metric theories of gravity with data collected from the aforementioned systems. Given the potential of future surveys to probe cosmological scales to high precision, it is a topic of much contemporary interest to construct a similar framework to link Einstein’s theory of gravity and its alternatives to observations on cosmological scales. Our approach to this problem is to adapt and extend the existing PPN formalism for use in cosmology. We derive a set of equations that use the same parameters to consistently model both weak fields and cosmology. This allows us to parameterize a large class of modified theories of gravity and dark energy models on cosmological scales, using just four functions of time. These four functions can be directly linked to the background expansion of the universe, first-order cosmological perturbations, and the weak-field limit of the theory. They also reduce to the standard PPN parameters on solar system scales. We illustrate how dark energy models and scalar-tensor and vector-tensor theories of gravity fit into this framework, which we refer to as ‘parameterized post-Newtonian cosmology’ (PPNC).

Within the weak-field, post-Newtonian approximation of the metric theories of gravity, we determine the one-way time transfer up to the order ${1/c}^{4},$ the unperturbed term being of order $1/c,$ and the frequency shift up to the order ${1/c}^{4}.$ We adapt the method of the world function developed by Synge to the Nordvedt-Will parametrized post-Newtonian (PPN) formalism. We get an integral expression for the world function up to the order ${1/c}^{3}$ and we apply this result to the field of an isolated, axisymmetric rotating body. We give a new procedure enabling us to calculate the influence of the mass and spin multipole moments of the body on the time transfer and the frequency shift up to the order ${1/c}^{4}.$ We obtain explicit formulas for the contributions of the mass, of the quadrupole moment and of the intrinsic angular momentum. In the case where the only PPN parameters different from zero are $\ensuremath{\beta}$ and \ensuremath{\gamma}, we deduce from these results the complete expression of the frequency shift up to the order ${1/c}^{4}.$ We briefly discuss the influence of the quadrupole moment and of the rotation of the Earth on the frequency shifts in the ESA's Atomic Clock Ensemble in Space mission.

We investigate the weak‐field, post‐Newtonian expansion to the solution of the field equations in scalar‐vector‐tensor theory of gravity. In the calculation we restrict ourselves to the first post Newtonian. The parameterized post Newtonian (PPN) parameters are determined by expanding the modified field equations in the metric perturbation. Then, we compare the solution to the PPN formalism in first PN approximation proposed by Will and Nordtvedt and read of the coefficients (the PPN parameters) of post Newtonian potentials of the theory. We find that the values of γPPN and βPPN are the same as in General Relativity but the coupling functions β1, β2, and β3 are the effect of the preferred frame.

In this article we analyze the post-Newtonian approximation of a\ngeneralization of the symmetric teleparallel gravity with the help of the\nparameterized post-Newtonian (PPN) formalism. This class of theories is based\non a free function of the five independent quadratic contractions of the\nnon-metricity tensor. By calculating the PPN metric of these theories, we can\nrestrict the Taylor coefficients of the free function with the help of the PPN\nparameters and their observational bounds. We find two families of theories\nwhose PPN parameters are identical to those of general relativity, and thus in\nfull agreement with observations. For three further families, we find that only\nthe PPN parameters $\\beta$ and $\\gamma$ deviate, but can be brought arbitrarily\nclose to their general relativity values by an appropriate choice of the\nLagrangian, so that also these families contain candidate theories which agree\nwith observations. The remaining theories either possess no well-defined\nsolution of the post-Newtonian field equations, or possess a post-Newtonian\nlimit which exceeds the form assumed in the PPN formalism.\n

Within the parameterized post-Newtonian (PPN) formalism, there could be an anisotropy of local gravity induced by an external matter distribution, even for a fully conservative metric theory of gravity. It reflects the breakdown of the local position invariance of gravity and, within the PPN formalism, is characterized by the Whitehead parameter ξ. We present three different kinds of observation, from the Solar system and radio pulsars, to constrain it. The most stringent limit comes from recent results on the extremely stable pulse profiles of solitary millisecond pulsars, that gives (95% CL), where the hat denotes the strong-field generalization of ξ. This limit is six orders of magnitude more constraining than the current best limit from superconducting gravimeter experiments. It can be converted into an upper limit of ∼4 × 10−16 on the spatial anisotropy of the gravitational constant.Communicated by C M Will

Metric theories of gravity are compiled and classified according to the types of gravitational fields they contain, and the modes of interaction among those fields. The gravitation theories considered are classified as (1) general relativity, (2) scalar-tensor theories, (3) conformally flat theories, and (4) stratified theories with conformally flat space slices. The post-Newtonian limit of each theory is constructed and its Parametrized Post-Newtonian (PPN) values are obtained by comparing it with Will's version of the formalism. Results obtained here, when combined with experimental data and with recent work by Nordtvedt and Will and by Ni, show that, of all theories thus far examined by our group, the only currently viable ones are general relativity, the Bergmann-Wagoner scalar-tensor theory and its special cases (Nordtvedt; Brans-Dicke-Jordan), and a recent, new vector-tensor theory by Nordtvedt, Hellings, and Will.

This thesis presents theoretical frameworks for the analysis and testing of gravitation theories - both metric and non-metric. For non-metric theories, the high-precision Eotvos-Dicke-Braginskii (EDB) experiments are demonstrated to be powerful tests of their gravitational coupling to electromagnetic interactions. All known non-metric theories are ruled out to within the precision of the EDB experiments. We present a new metric theory of gravity that cannot be distinguished from general relativity in all current and planned solar system experiments. However, this theory has very different gravitational-wave properties. Hence, we point out the need for further tests of metric theories beyond the Parametrized Post-Newtonian formalism, and emphasize the importance of the observation of gravitational waves as a tool for testing relativistic gravity in the future. A theory-independent formalism delineating the properties of weak, plane gravitational waves in metric theories is set up. General conservation laws that follow from variational principles in metric theories of gravity are investigated.

Parametrized post-Newtonian theory of reference frames, multipolar expansions and equations of motion in the N-body problem

The postulates upon which is founded general relativity (in particular the principle of equivalence) are in fact the underlying foundations of a large class of competing theories, the so-called metric theories of gravity. This situation has led the physicists to propose and to perform two kinds of experiments: 1) experiments which test the pertinence of the concept of metric theory; 2) experiments which permit to eliminate some theories. We show that the experiments of the first kind confirm — sometimes at a very high level of accuracy — the metric character of the gravitational interaction. To analyze the experiments of the second kind in the slow-motion, weak-field limit, the most useful tool is the parametrized post-Newtonian formalism. After a brief review of the main features of this formalism, we present the different experiments performed in order to determine the post-Newtonian parameters and we discuss the theoretical implications of the results already obtained.

The theoretical model for the analysis of Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) data is described and results of a least-squares fit are presented. Using observations of more than 21 years we determined parameters concerning the EarthMoon system (e.g. the mass of the system, the lunar tidal acceleration etc.), the station-reflector geometry (e.g. coordinates, Earth's orientation parameters etc.), and other physical parameters like the solar quadrupole moment J⊚2. Besides these parameters others suitable for testing metric theories of gravity in the first post-Newtonian approximation can be determined with great accuracy. These are the PPN (parametrized post-Newtonian) parameters γ and ,β, the Nordtvedt parameter η, the geodetic precession ΩGP of the lunar orbit, as well as a possible time variation of the gravitational constant Ġ/G. These relativistic parameters are discussed in detail including the derivation of realistic errors.