Scalar Polynomial Singularities in Power-Law Spacetimes

Recently, Helliwell and Konkowski (\texttt{gr-qc/0701149}) have examined the quantum "healing" of some classical singularities in certain power-law spacetimes. Here I further examine classical properties of these spacetimes and show that some of them contain naked strong curvature singularities.Comment: 7 pages revtex4 two figures extended discussio

Pseudo--magnetorotational instability in a Taylor-Dean flow between electrically connected cylinders

We consider a Taylor-Dean-type flow of an electrically conducting liquid in an annulus between two infinitely long perfectly conducting cylinders subject to a generally helical magnetic field. The cylinders are electrically connected through a remote, perfectly conducting endcap, which allows a radial electric current to pass through the liquid. The radial current interacting with the axial component of magnetic field gives rise to the azimuthal electromagnetic force, which destabilizes the base flow by making its angular momentum decrease radially outwards. This instability, which we refer to as the pseudo--magnetorotational instability (MRI), looks like an MRI although its mechanism is basically centrifugal. In a helical magnetic field, the radial current interacting with the azimuthal component of the field gives rise to an axial electromagnetic force, which drives a longitudinal circulation. First, this circulation advects the Taylor vortices generated by the centrifugal instability, which results in a traveling wave as in the helical MRI (HMRI). However, the direction of travel of this wave is opposite to that of the true HMRI. Second, at sufficiently strong differential rotation, the longitudinal flow becomes hydrodynamically unstable itself. For electrically connected cylinders in a helical magnetic field, hydrodynamic instability is possible at any sufficiently strong differential rotation. In this case, there is no hydrodynamic stability limit defined in the terms of the critical ratio of rotation rates of inner and outer cylinders that would allow one to distinguish a hydrodynamic instability from the HMRI. These effects can critically interfere with experimental as well as numerical determination of MRI.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, minor revision, to appear in Phys. Rev.

The wave equation on singular space-times

We prove local unique solvability of the wave equation for a large class of weakly singular, locally bounded space-time metrics in a suitable space of generalised functions.Comment: Latex, 19 pages, 1 figure. Discussion of class of metrics covered by our results and some examples added. Conclusion more detailed. Version to appear in Communications in Mathematical Physic

Unified Field Theory From Enlarged Transformation Group. The Covariant Derivative for Conservative Coordinate Transformations and Local Frame Transformations

Pandres has developed a theory in which the geometrical structure of a real four-dimensional space-time is expressed by a real orthonormal tetrad, and the group of diffeomorphisms is replaced by a larger group called the conservation group. This paper extends the geometrical foundation for Pandres' theory by developing an appropriate covariant derivative which is covariant under all local Lorentz (frame) transformations, including complex Lorentz transformations, as well as conservative transformations. After defining this extended covariant derivative, an appropriate Lagrangian and its resulting field equations are derived. As in Pandres' theory, these field equations result in a stress-energy tensor that has terms which may automatically represent the electroweak field. Finally, the theory is extended to include 2-spinors and 4-spinors.Comment: Aug 25 replacement has corrected margin width

Acausality in Gowdy spacetimes

We present a parametrization of $T^3$ and $S^1\times S^2$ Gowdy cosmological models which allows us to study both types of topologies simultaneously. We show that there exists a coordinate system in which the general solution of the linear polarized special case (with both topologies) has exactly the same functional dependence. This unified parametrization is used to investigate the existence of Cauchy horizons at the cosmological singularities, leading to a violation of the strong cosmic censorship conjecture. Our results indicate that the only acausal spacetimes are described by the Kantowski-Sachs and the Kerr-Gowdy metrics.Comment: Typos corrected, 10 pages. Dedicated to Michael P. Ryan on the occasion of his 60-th birthda

Higher dimensional inhomogeneous dust collapse and cosmic censorship

We investigate the occurrence and nature of a naked singularity in the gravitational collapse of an inhomogeneous dust cloud described by higher dimensional Tolman-Bondi space-times. The naked singularities are found to be gravitationally strong in the sense of Tipler. Higher dimensions seem to favour black holes rather than naked singularities.Comment: 15 pages, LaTeX, 1 figure, 2 table

On the stability of black hole event horizons

In this work we study a {\it gedanken} experiment constructed in order to test the cosmic censorship hypothesis and the second law of black hole thermo-dynamics. Matter with a negative gravitating energy is imagined added to a near extremal $U(1)$-charged static black hole in Einstein-Maxwell theory. The dynamics of a similar process is studied and the thermo-dynamical properties of the resulting black hole structure is discussed. A new mechanism which stabilizes black hole event horizons is shown to operate in such processes.Comment: 16, grammatical errors corrected and two references adde

Survival of the black hole's Cauchy horizon under non-compact perturbations

We study numerically the evolution of spactime, and in particular of a spacetime singularity, inside a black hole under a class of perturbations of non-compact support. We use a very simplified toy model of a spherical charged black hole which is perturbed nonlinearly by a self-gravitating, spherical scalar field. The latter grows logarithmically with advanced time along an outgoing characteristic hypersurface. We find that for that class of perturbations a portion of the Cauchy horizon survives as a non-central, null singularity.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Higher dimensional radiation collapse and cosmic censorship

We study the occurrence of naked singularities in the spherically symmetric collapse of radiation shells in a higher dimensional spacetime. The necessary conditions for the formation of a naked singularity or a black hole are obtained. The naked singularities are found to be strong in the Tipler's sense and thus violating cosmic censorship conjecture.Comment: 4 pages, ReVTeX, Phys Rev D Vol 62 107502 (2000

Failure of Standard Conservation Laws at a Classical Change of Signature

The Divergence Theorem as usually stated cannot be applied across a change of signature unless it is re-expressed to allow for a finite source term on the signature change surface. Consequently all conservation laws must also be `modified', and therefore insistence on conservation of matter across such a surface cannot be physically justified. The Darmois junction conditions normally ensure conservation of matter via Israel's identities for the jump in the energy-momentum density, but not when the signature changes. Modified identities are derived for this jump when a signature change occurs, and the resulting surface effects in the conservation laws are calculated. In general, physical vector fields experience a jump in at least one component, and a source term may therefore appear in the corresponding conservation law. Thus current is also not conserved. These surface effects are a consequence of the change in the character of physical law. The only way to recover standard conservation laws is to impose restrictions that no realistic cosmological model can satisfy.Comment: 15pp, figures available on request from Charles Hellaby at [email protected]