A framework is developed which quantifies the local exchange of energy and momentum between matter and the linearized gravitational field. We derive the unique gravitational energy-momentum tensor consistent with this description, and find that this tensor only exists in the harmonic gauge. Consequently, nearly all the gauge freedom of our framework is naturally and unavoidably removed. The gravitational energy-momentum tensor is then shown to have two exceptional properties: (a) it is gauge-invariant for gravitational plane-waves, (b) for arbitrary transverse-traceless fields, the energy-density is never negative, and the energy-flux is never spacelike. We analyse in detail the local gauge invariant energy-momentum transferred between the gravitational field and an infinitesimal point-source, and show that these invariants depend only on the transverse-traceless components of the field. As a result, we are led to a natural gauge-fixing program which at last renders the energy-momentum of the linear gravitational field completely unambiguous, and additionally ensures that gravitational energy is never negative nor flows faster than light. Finally, we calculate the energy-momentum content of gravitational plane-waves, the linearized Schwarzschild spacetime (extending to arbitrary static linear spacetimes) and the gravitational radiation outside two compact sources: a vibrating rod, and an equal-mass binary.

20 pages, 3 figures, published in Phys. Rev. D