Generating solutions via sigma-models

We review recent development of solution-generating techniques for four and five-dimensional Einstein equations coupled to vector and scalar fields. This includes D=4 Einstein-Maxwell-dilaton-axion theory with multiple vector fields, D=5 Einstein-Maxwell gravity with the Chern-Simons term (minimal five-dimensional supergravity), and some other models which attracted attention in connection with black rings. The method is based on reduction to three-dimensional gravity coupled sigma-models with symmetric target spaces. Our recent results open a way to construct the general charged black rings in five-dimensional supergravity possibly coupled to vector multiplets.Comment: An updated version of the talk given at ICGA8 and published in the Proceedings. 14 pages, ptpte

Quantized rotating Taub-bolt instantons

We argue that previously suggested metrics for rotating Taub-bolt instantons do not satisfy all the necessary regularity conditions, and we present a family of new regular rotating Taub-bolts labelled by an odd integer $k$. There are two types of rotating bolt solutions. The first infinite sequence starts with non-rotating Taub-NUT with positive mass $M_k=N$ for $a=0$ and goes to $(k-2)N$ for $|a|\to \infty$ (or $N$ for $k=1$), where $a$ is the rotation parameter. For the second sequence of rotating Page bolts, the masses $M_k$ go through the value $M_k=5N/4$ for $a=0$ and asymptote to $(k+2)N$ for $|a|\to \infty$.Comment: The paper has been withdrawn by the authors since the solutions obtained were found not to be completely regular eithe

Solitons and black holes in Einstein-Born-Infeld-dilaton theory

Static spherically symmetric asymptotically flat solutions to the U(1) Born-Infeld theory coupled to gravity and to a dilaton are investigated. The dilaton enters in such a way that the theory is $SL(2,R)$- symmetric for a unit value of the dilaton coupling constant. We find globally regular solutions for any value of the effective coupling which is the ratio of the gravitational and dilaton couplings; they form a continuous sequence labeled by the sole free parameter of the local solution near the origin. The allowed values of this parameter are bounded from below, and, as the limiting value is approached, the mass and the dilaton charge rise indefinitely and tend to a strict equality (in suitable units). Together with the electric charge they saturate the BPS bound of the corresponding linear U(1) theory. Beyond this boundary the solutions become compact (singular), while the limiting solution at the exact boundary value is non-compact and non-asymptotically flat. The black holes in this theory exist for any value of the event horizon radius and also form a sequence labelled by a continuously varying parameter restricted to a finite interval. The singularity inside the black hole exhibits a power-law mass inflation.Comment: Latex, 16 pages, 6 .ps figure

Piercing of domain walls: new mechanism of gravitational radiation

Domain wall (DW) moving in media undergoes the friction force due to particle scattering. However certain particles are not scattered, but perforate the wall. As a result, the wall gets excited in the form of the branon wave, while the particle experiences an acceleration jump. This gives rise to generation of gravitational waves which we call "piercing gravitational radiation" (PGR). Though this effect is of higher order in the gravitational constant than the quadrupole radiation from the collapsing DWs, its amplitude is enhanced in the case of relativistic particles or photons because of absence of the velocity factor which is present in the quadrupole formula. We derive the spectral-angular distribution of PGR within the simplified model of the weakly gravitating particle-wall system in Minkowski space-time of arbitrary dimensions. Within this model the radiation amplitude is obtained analytically. The spectral-angular distribution of PGR in such an approach suffers from infrared and ultraviolet divergences as well as from collinear divergence in the case of a massless perforating particle. Different cut-off schemes appropriate in various dimensions are discussed. Our results are applicable both to cosmological DWs and to the braneworld models.Comment: 30 pages, 8 figure

Oxidation of D=3 cosets and Bonnor dualities in D≤6D\leq 6

Bonnor's map in General Relativity is duality between (dimensionally reduced) vacuum gravity and static truncation of electro-vacuum theory. It was used as a tool to generate an exact solution of electro-vacuum from some vacuum solution. It can be expected that similar dualities will be useful for solution generation in higher-dimensional theories too. Here we study such maps within a class of theories in dimensions $D\leq 6$ using oxidation of D=3 cosets and consistent truncation of the corresponding theories. Our class includes those theories whose D=3 symmetries are subgroups of $G=O(5,4)$. It contains six-dimensional minimal supergravity, five-dimensional minimal and $U(1)^3$ supergravities and a number of four-dimensional theories which attracted attention recently in the search of exact solutions. We give explicit reduction/truncation formulas relating different theories in dimensions $D=4, 5, 6$ in terms of metrics and matter fields and discuss various alternative duality chains between them.Comment: Two references added, Introduction slightly edited, mispints removed. Journal versio

Conformal and kinetic couplings as two Jordan frames of the same theory

Non-minimal scalar-tensor (ST) theories may admit an Einstein frame representation, where gravity is described by the Einstein-Hilbert action plus the scalar sector. Some STs become just {\em minimal} Einstein-scalar (MES) theories, notable examples are Brans-Dicke and $R\phi^2$. ST theories with {\em derivative} coupling can also be reduced to an Einstein frame by disformal transformations, but, as a rule, their scalar sector will contain higher derivative terms. Here we draw attention to a new Palatini kinetically coupled theory which can be reduced to pure MES by an invertible disformal transformation. This theory can then be converted into the Jordan frame of another ST, $R\phi^2$, which also admits an invertible transformation to MES. Two theories, each of which is dual to MES, will be {\em sequentially dual} to each other and can be considered as two different Jordan frames of the same theory. Both chosen theories violate null energy condition. Transforming the same singular MES solutions, we find the desingularization signs in both Jordan frames, but these are more pronouned in the framework of kinetic theory, leading, in the cosmological case, to Genesis-type behavior.Comment: 25 page

Rehabilitating space-times with NUTs

We revisit the Taub-NUT solution of the Einstein equations without time periodicity condition, showing that the Misner string is still fully transparent for geodesics. In this case, analytic continuation can be carried out through both horizons leading to a Hausdorff spacetime without a central singularity, and thus geodesically complete. Furthermore, we show that, in spite of the presence of a region containing closed time-like curves, there are no closed causal {\em geodesics}. Thus, some longstanding obstructions to accept the Taub-NUT solution as physically relevant are removed.Comment: 9 pages revtex 4, Journal versio