The second order spin-2 system in flat space near space-like and null-infinity

In previous work, the numerical solution of the linearized gravitational field equations near space-like and null-infinity was discussed in the form of the spin-2 zero-rest-mass equation for the perturbations of the conformal Weyl curvature. The motivation was to study the behavior of the field and properties of the numerical evolution of the system near infinity using Friedrich’s conformal representation of space-like infinity as a cylinder. It has been pointed out by H.O. Kreiss and others that the numerical evolution of a system using second order wave equations has several advantages compared to a system of first order equations. Therefore, in the present paper we derive a system of second order wave equations and prove that the solution spaces of the two systems are the same if appropriate initial and boundary data are given. We study the properties of this system of coupled wave equations in the same geometric setting and discuss the differences between the two approaches.