Elasticity Theory in General Relativity

The general relativistic theory of elasticity is reviewed from a Lagrangian, as opposed to Eulerian, perspective. The equations of motion and stress-energy-momentum tensor for a hyperelastic body are derived from the gauge-invariant action principle first considered by DeWitt. This action is a natural extension of the action for a single relativistic particle. The central object in the Lagrangian treatment is the Landau-Lifshitz radar metric, which is the relativistic version of the right Cauchy-Green deformation tensor. We also introduce relativistic definitions of the deformation gradient, Green strain, and first and second Piola-Kirchhoff stress tensors. A gauge-fixed description of relativistic hyperelasticity is also presented, and the nonrelativistic theory is derived in the limit as the speed of light becomes infinite.