Gravitational Instantons from Minimal Surfaces

Physical properties of gravitational instantons which are derivable from minimal surfaces in 3-dimensional Euclidean space are examined using the Newman-Penrose formalism for Euclidean signature. The gravitational instanton that corresponds to the helicoid minimal surface is investigated in detail. This is a metric of Bianchi Type $VII_0$, or E(2) which admits a hidden symmetry due to the existence of a quadratic Killing tensor. It leads to a complete separation of variables in the Hamilton-Jacobi equation for geodesics, as well as in Laplace's equation for a massless scalar field. The scalar Green function can be obtained in closed form which enables us to calculate the vacuum fluctuations of a massless scalar field in the background of this instanton.Comment: One figure available by fax upon request. Abstract missing in original submission. Submitted to Classical and Quantum Gravit

Black brane solutions related to non-singular Kac-Moody algebras

A multidimensional gravitational model containing scalar fields and antisymmetric forms is considered. The manifold is chosen in the form M = M_0 x M_1 x ... x M_n, where M_i are Einstein spaces (i > 0). The sigma-model approach and exact solutions with intersecting composite branes (e.g., solutions with harmonic functions and black brane ones) with intersection rules related to non-singular Kac-Moody (KM) algebras (e.g. hyperbolic ones) are considered. Some examples of black brane solutions are presented, e.g., those corresponding to hyperbolic KM algebras: H_2(q,q) (q > 2), HA_2^(1) = A_2^{++} and to the Lorentzian KM algebra P_{10}.Comment: 16 pages, Late