Inhomogeneous High Frequency Expansion-Free Gravitational Waves

We describe a natural inhomogeneous generalization of high frequency plane gravitational waves. The waves are high frequency waves of the Kundt type whose null propagation direction in space-time has vanishing expansion, twist and shear but is not covariantly constant. The introduction of a cosmological constant is discussed in some detail and a comparison is made with high frequency gravity waves having wave fronts homeomorphic to 2-spheres.Comment: 18 pages, Latex file, accepted for publication in Physical Review

Gravitational Wave Emission from a Bounded Source: the Nonlinear Regime

We study the dynamics of a bounded gravitational collapsing configuration emitting gravitational waves, where the exterior spacetime is described by Robinson-Trautman geometries. The full nonlinear regime is examined by using the Galerkin method that allows us to reduce the equations governing the dynamics to a finite-dimensional dynamical system, after a proper truncation procedure. Amongst the obtained results of the nonlinear evolution, one of the most impressive is the fact that the distribution of the mass fraction extracted by gravitational wave emission satisfies the distribution law of nonextensive statistics and this result is independent of the initial configurations considered.Comment: 3 page, 1 figure, proceedings of the X Marcel Grossmann Meeting 22-26 July, 2003, Rio de Janeir

On the algebraic classification of spacetimes

We briefly overview the Petrov classification in four dimensions and its generalization to higher dimensions.Comment: Submitted to Journal of Physics, conference series, proceedings of 4th meeting on constrained dynamics and quantum gravity, 12-16 September 2005, Sardinia, Ital

Formal analogies between gravitation and electrodynamics

We develop a theoretical framework that allows us to compare electromagnetism and gravitation in a fully covariant way. This new scenario does not rely on any kind of approximation nor associate objects with different operational meaning as it's sometime done in the literature. We construct the electromagnetic analogue to the Riemann and Weyl tensors and develop the equations of motion for these objects. In particular, we are able to identify precisely how and in what conditions gravity can be mapped to electrodynamics. As a consequence, many of the gemometrical tools of General Relativity can be applied to Electromagnetism and vice-versa. We hope our results would shed new light in the nature of electromagnetic and gravitational theories.Comment: 9pages, submitted to General Relativity and Gravitatio

Spinor classification of the Weyl tensor in five dimensions

We investigate the spinor classification of the Weyl tensor in five dimensions due to De Smet. We show that a previously overlooked reality condition reduces the number of possible types in the classification. We classify all vacuum solutions belonging to the most special algebraic type. The connection between this spinor and the tensor classification due to Coley, Milson, Pravda and Pravdov\'a is investigated and the relation between most of the types in each of the classifications is given. We show that the black ring is algebraically general in the spinor classification.Comment: 40 page

Type D spacetimes and the Weyl double copy

We study the double-copy relation between classical solutions in gauge theory and gravity, focusing on four-dimensional vacuum metrics of algebraic type D, a class that includes several important solutions. We present a double copy of curvatures that applies to all spacetimes of this type—the Weyl double copy—relating the curvature of the spacetime to an electromagnetic field strength. We show that the Weyl double copy is consistent with the previously known Kerr–Schild double copy, and in fact resolves certain ambiguities of the latter. The most interesting new example of the classical double copy presented here is that of the C-metric. This well-known solution, which represents a pair of uniformly accelerated black holes, is mapped to the Liénard–Wiechert potential for a pair of uniformly accelerated charges. We also present a new double-copy interpretation of the Eguchi–Hanson instanton

Radiation from accelerated black holes in de Sitter universe

Radiative properties of gravitational and electromagnetic fields generated by uniformly accelerated charged black holes in asymptotically de Sitter spacetime are studied by analyzing the C-metric exact solution of the Einstein-Maxwell equations with a positive cosmological constant. Its global structure and physical properties are thoroughly discussed. We explicitly find and describe the specific pattern of radiation which exhibits the dependence of the fields on a null direction along which the (spacelike) conformal infinity is approached. This directional characteristic of radiation supplements the peeling behavior of the fields near the infinity. The interpretation of the solution is achieved by means of various coordinate systems, and suitable tetrads. Relation to the Robinson-Trautman framework is also presented.Comment: 28 pages, 9 figures, RevTe

Vacuum type I spacetimes and aligned Papapetrou fields: symmetries

We analyze type I vacuum solutions admitting an isometry whose Killing 2--form is aligned with a principal bivector of the Weyl tensor, and we show that these solutions belong to a family of type I metrics which admit a group $G_3$ of isometries. We give a classification of this family and we study the Bianchi type for each class. The classes compatible with an aligned Killing 2--form are also determined. The Szekeres-Brans theorem is extended to non vacuum spacetimes with vanishing Cotton tensor.Comment: 19 pages; a reference adde

Radiation from accelerated black holes in an anti-de Sitter universe

We study gravitational and electromagnetic radiation generated by uniformly accelerated charged black holes in anti-de Sitter spacetime. This is described by the C-metric exact solution of the Einstein-Maxwell equations with a negative cosmological constant Lambda. We explicitly find and interpret the pattern of radiation that characterizes the dependence of the fields on a null direction from which the (timelike) conformal infinity is approached. This directional pattern exhibits specific properties which are more complicated if compared with recent analogous results obtained for asymptotic behavior of fields near a de Sitter-like infinity. In particular, for large acceleration the anti-de Sitter-like infinity is divided by Killing horizons into several distinct domains with a different structure of principal null directions, in which the patterns of radiation differ.Comment: 19 pages, 11 colour figures, submitted to Phys. Rev. D [Low quality figures are included in this version because of arXive size restrictions. The version with the standard quality figures is available at http://utf.mff.cuni.cz/~podolsky/jppubl.htm.

The Petrov and Kaigorodov-Ozsv\'ath Solutions: Spacetime as a Group Manifold

The Petrov solution (for $\Lambda=0$) and the Kaigorodov-Ozsv\'ath solution (for $\Lambda<0$) provide examples of vacuum solutions of the Einstein equations with simply-transitive isometry groups. We calculate the boundary stress-tensor for the Kaigorodov-Ozsv\'ath solution in the context of the adS/CFT correspondence. By giving a matrix representation of the Killing algebra of the Petrov solution, we determine left-invariant one-forms on the group. The algebra is shown to admit a two-parameter family of linear deformations a special case of which gives the algebra of the Kaigorodov-Ozsv\'ath solution. By applying the method of non-linear realisations to both algebras, we obtain a Lagrangian of Finsler type from the general first-order action in both cases. Interpreting the Petrov solution as the exterior solution of a rigidly rotating dust cylinder, we discuss the question of creation of CTCs by spinning up such a cylinder. We show geodesic completeness of the Petrov and Kaigorodov-Ozsv\'ath solutions and determine the behaviour of geodesics in these spacetimes. The holonomy groups were shown to be given by the Lorentz group in both cases.Comment: 25 pages (latex), 3 figures, corrected a few minor error