Explicit Global Coordinates for Schwarzschild and Reissner-Nordstroem

We construct coordinate systems that cover all of the Reissner-Nordstroem solution with m>|q| and m=|q|, respectively. This is possible by means of elementary analytical functions. The limit of vanishing charge q provides an alternative to Kruskal which, to our mind, is more explicit and simpler. The main tool for finding these global charts is the description of highly symmetrical metrics by two-dimensional actions. Careful gauge fixing yields global representatives of the two-dimensional theory that can be rewritten easily as the corresponding four-dimensional line elements.Comment: 12 pages, 3 Postscript figures, sign error in Eq. (37) and below corrected, references and Note added; to appear in Class. Quantum Gra

Self-interactions in a topological BF-type model in D=5

All consistent interactions in five spacetime dimensions that can be added to a free BF-type model involving one scalar field, two types of one-forms, two sorts of two-forms, and one three-form are investigated by means of deforming the solution to the master equation with the help of specific cohomological techniques. The couplings are obtained on the grounds of smoothness, locality, (background) Lorentz invariance, Poincar\'{e} invariance, and the preservation of the number of derivatives on each field.Comment: LaTeX, 57 pages, final version, matching the published pape

Hamiltonian BRST deformation of a class of n-dimensional BF-type theories

Consistent Hamiltonian interactions that can be added to an abelian free BF-type class of theories in any n greater or equal to 4 spacetime dimensions are constructed in the framework of the Hamiltonian BRST deformation based on cohomological techniques. The resulting model is an interacting field theory in higher dimensions with an open algebra of on-shell reducible first-class constraints. We argue that the Hamiltonian couplings are related to a natural structure of Poisson manifold on the target space.Comment: 27 pages, uses JHEP3.cl

Non-existence of a dilaton gravity action for the exact string black hole

We prove that no local diffeomorphism invariant two-dimensional theory of the metric and the dilaton without higher derivatives can describe the exact string black hole solution found a decade ago by Dijkgraaf, Verlinde and Verlinde. One of the key points in this proof is the concept of dilaton-shift invariance. We present and solve (classically) all dilaton-shift invariant theories of two-dimensional dilaton gravity. Two such models, resembling the exact string black hole and generalizing the CGHS model, are discussed explicitly.Comment: 24 pages, 3 eps-figures, revised version (more references, clarified some of the discussion

Generalized 2d dilaton gravity with matter fields

We extend the classical integrability of the CGHS model of 2d dilaton gravity [1] to a larger class of models, allowing the gravitational part of the action to depend more generally on the dilaton field and, simultaneously, adding fermion- and U(1)-gauge-fields to the scalar matter. On the other hand we provide the complete solution of the most general dilaton-dependent 2d gravity action coupled to chiral fermions. The latter analysis is generalized to a chiral fermion multiplet with a non-abelian gauge symmetry as well as to the (anti-)self-dual sector df = *df (df = -*df) of a scalar field f.Comment: 37 pages, Latex; typos and Eqs. (44,45) corrected; paragraph on p. 26, referring to a work of S. Solodukhin, reformulated; references adde

Some notes on the Kruskal - Szekeres completion

The Kruskal - Szekeres (KS) completion of the Schwarzschild spacetime is open to Synge's methodological criticism that the KS procedure generates "good" coordinates from "bad". This is addressed here in two ways: First I generate the KS coordinates from Israel coordinates, which are also "good", and then I generate the KS coordinates directly from a streamlined integration of the Einstein equations.Comment: One typo correcte

Maximally extended, explicit and regular coverings of the Schwarzschild - de Sitter vacua in arbitrary dimension

Maximally extended, explicit and regular coverings of the Schwarzschild - de Sitter family of vacua are given, first in spacetime (generalizing a result due to Israel) and then for all dimensions $D$ (assuming a $D-2$ sphere). It is shown that these coordinates offer important advantages over the well known Kruskal - Szekeres procedure.Comment: 12 pages revtex4 5 figures in color. Higher resolution version at http://www.astro.queensu.ca/~lake/regularcoordinates.pd

Gravitation with superposed Gauss--Bonnet terms in higher dimensions: Black hole metrics and maximal extensions

Our starting point is an iterative construction suited to combinatorics in arbitarary dimensions d, of totally anisymmetrised p-Riemann 2p-forms (2p\le d) generalising the (1-)Riemann curvature 2-forms. Superposition of p-Ricci scalars obtained from the p-Riemann forms defines the maximally Gauss--Bonnet extended gravitational Lagrangian. Metrics, spherically symmetric in the (d-1) space dimensions are constructed for the general case. The problem is directly reduced to solving polynomial equations. For some black hole type metrics the horizons are obtained by solving polynomial equations. Corresponding Kruskal type maximal extensions are obtained explicitly in complete generality, as is also the periodicity of time for Euclidean signature. We show how to include a cosmological constant and a point charge. Possible further developments and applications are indicated.Comment: 13 pages, REVTEX. References and Note Adde

Dynamical N-body Equlibrium in Circular Dilaton Gravity

We obtain a new exact equilibrium solution to the N-body problem in a one-dimensional relativistic self-gravitating system. It corresponds to an expanding/contracting spacetime of a circle with N bodies at equal proper separations from one another around the circle. Our methods are straightforwardly generalizable to other dilatonic theories of gravity, and provide a new class of solutions to further the study of (relativistic) one-dimensional self-gravitating systems.Comment: 4 pages, latex, reference added, minor changes in wordin

Classical and Quantum Gravity in 1+1 Dimensions, Part I: A Unifying Approach

We provide a concise approach to generalized dilaton theories with and without torsion and coupling to Yang-Mills fields. Transformations on the space of fields are used to trivialize the field equations locally. In this way their solution becomes accessible within a few lines of calculation only. In this first of a series of papers we set the stage for a thorough global investigation of classical and quantum aspects of more or less all available 2D gravity-Yang-Mills models.Comment: 24 pages, no figures, some sign errors in Eqs. 52--59 have been corrected (according to the Erratum