Statefinders and observational measurement of superenergy

Abstract

The superenergy of the universe is a tensorial quantity and it is a general relativistic analogue of the Appell's energy of acceleration in classical mechanics. We propose the measurement of this quantity by the observational parameters such as the Hubble parameter, the deceleration parameter, the jerk and the snap (kerk) known as statefinders. We show that the superenergy of gravity requires only the Hubble and deceleration parameter to be measured, while the superenergy of matter requires also the measurement of the higher-order characteristics of expansion: the jerk and the snap. In such a way, the superenergy becomes another parameter characterizing the evolution of the universe.