Algebraic Rainich theory and antisymmetrization in higher dimensions

• The classical Rainich(-Misner-Wheeler) theory gives necessary and sufficient conditions on an energy-momentum tensor T to be that of a Maxwell field (a 2-form) in four dimensions. Via Einstein's equations, these conditions can be expressed in terms of the Ricci tensor, thus providing conditions for a spacetime geometry to be an Einstein-Maxwell spacetime. One of the conditions is that T2 is proportional to the metric, and it has previously been shown in arbitrary dimension that any tensor satisfying this condition is a superenergy tensor of a simple p-form. Here we examine algebraic Rainich conditions for general p-forms in higher dimensions and their relations to identities by antisymmetrization. Using antisymmetrization techniques we find new identities for superenergy tensors of these general (non-simple) forms, and we also prove in some cases the converse: that the identities are sufficient to determine the form. As an example we obtain the complete generalization of the classical Rainich theory to five dimensions.

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