A look inside the theory of the linear approximation

Abstract

We introduce in the framework of the linear approximation of General relativity a natural distinction between General gauge transformations generated by any vector field and those Special ones for which this vector field is a gradient. This allows to introduce geometrical objects that are not invariant under General gauge transformations but they are under Special ones. We develop then a formalism that strengthens the analogy of the formalisms of the electromagnetic and the gravitational theories in a Special relativity framework. We are thus able to define the energy-momentum tensor of the gravitational field and to fully analyze the gravitational field of isolated point masses or continuous distributions of them obtained by linear superpositions.