Finite elements for symmetric and traceless tensors in three dimensions

We construct a family of finite element sub-complexes of the conformal complex on tetrahedral meshes. This complex includes vector fields and symmetric and traceless tensor fields, interlinked through the conformal Killing operator, the linearized Cotton-York operator, and the divergence operator, respectively. This leads to discrete versions of transverse traceless (TT) tensors and York splits in general relativity. We provide bubble complexes and investigate supersmoothness to facilitate the construction. We show the exactness of the finite element complex on contractible domains.