https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-021-09183-9
Special Article – Tools for Experiment and Theory
xPPN: an implementation of the parametrized post-Newtonian formalism using xAct for Mathematica
Laboratory of Theoretical Physics, Institute of Physics, University of Tartu, W. Ostwaldi 1, 50411, Tartu, Estonia
Received:
3
February
2021
Accepted:
26
April
2021
Published online:
7
June
2021
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 
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 Author(s) 2021
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