The definition of mass in asymptotically de Sitter space-times

Abstract

An invariant definition of mass in asymptotically de-Sitter space-times is given that relies on the existence of a time-like Killing vector on a sphere surrounding the mass but does not require going to an asymptotic region. In particular the mass can be calculated exactly on a sphere inside the cosmological horizon. The formalism requires varying the background metric solution by a perturbation that satisfies the linearized equations of motion but need not share the Killing symmetry of the solution and is therefore ideally suited to calculating masses in stationary space-times perturbed by a gravitational wave without going beyond the cosmological horizon.