Set the global environment variable _EnvExplicit to true to insure that the adapted null tetrads are free of expressions.
Example 1. Type I
We calculate an adapted null tetrad for a type spacetime. First define the coordinates to be used and then define the metric.
Here is an initial null tetrad.
We check that this is indeed a null tetrad for the given metric using GRQuery.
Compute the Newman-Penrose coefficients and check that the Petrov type is I. The coefficients are not in normal form for type I (for example, ), so is not an adapted null tetrad.
Calculate an adapted null tetrad and simplify.
Calculate the Newman-Penrose coefficients for the new null tetrad. We obtain the correct normal form (with since and .
Example 2. Type II
We calculate an adapted null tetrad for a type spacetime. First define the coordinates to be used and then define the metric.
Here is an initial null tetrad.
We check that this is indeed a null tetrad for the given metric.
Compute the Newman-Penrose coefficients and check that the Petrov type is II. The coefficients are not in normal form for type II (for example, ), so is not an adapted null tetrad.
Calculate an adapted null tetrad. We use the third calling sequence so that the Weyl tensor, or equivalently, the Newman-Penrose Weyl scalars need not be computed. Moreover, all computations are then algebraic and we can use Maple's assuming feature to simplify all intermediate calculations.
Calculate the Newman-Penrose coefficients for the new null tetrad. We obtain the correct normal form (with ) since and.
Example 3. Type III
We calculate an adapted null tetrad for a type spacetime. First define the coordinates to be used and then define the metric.
Here is an initial null tetrad.
We check that this is indeed a null tetrad for the given metric.
Compute the Newman-Penrose coefficients and check that the Petrov type is III. The coefficients are not in normal form for type III (for example, ), so is not an adapted null tetrad.
Calculate an adapted null tetrad.
Calculate the Newman-Penrose coefficients for the new null tetrad. We obtain the correct normal form since and .
Example 4. Type D
We calculate an adapted null tetrad for a type spacetime. First define the coordinates to be used and then define the metric.
Here is an initial null tetrad.
We check that this is indeed a null tetrad for the given metric.
Compute the Newman-Penrose coefficients and check that the Petrov type is D. The coefficients are not in normal form for type D (for example, ), so is not an adapted null tetrad.
Calculate an adapted null tetrad.
Calculate the Newman-Penrose coefficients for the new null tetrad. We obtain the correct normal form since = 0.
Example 5. Type N
We calculate an adapted null tetrad for a type spacetime. First define the coordinates to be used and then define the metric.
Here is the initial null tetrad.
We check that this is indeed a null tetrad for the given metric.
Compute the Newman-Penrose coefficients and check that the Petrov type is N. The coefficients are not in normal form for type N (for example, ), so is not an adapted null tetrad.
Calculate an adapted null tetrad.
Calculate the Newman-Penrose coefficients for the new null tetrad. We obtain the correct normal form since = 0 and