Angular momentum and memory effect
Pujian Mao, Jun-Bao Wu, Xiaoning Wu
Abstract
It is a long-standing problem in general relativity that the notion of angular momentum of an isolated system has supertranslation ambiguity. In this paper, we argue that the ambiguity is essentially because of the gravitational wave memory. When properly subtracting the memory effect of the observer, one can introduce a supertranslation invariant definition of the angular momentum at null infinity even for dynamical process.
Topics & Concepts
Angular momentumPhysicsAmbiguityClassical mechanicsTotal angular momentum quantum numberObserver (physics)Angular momentum couplingInvariant (physics)Specific relative angular momentumAngular momentum operatorTheoretical physicsQuantum mechanicsComputer scienceProgramming languageBlack Holes and Theoretical PhysicsCosmology and Gravitation TheoriesPulsars and Gravitational Waves Research