65 research outputs found
Exact relativistic treatment of stationary counter-rotating dust disks I: Boundary value problems and solutions
This is the first in a series of papers on the construction of explicit
solutions to the stationary axisymmetric Einstein equations which describe
counter-rotating disks of dust. These disks can serve as models for certain
galaxies and accretion disks in astrophysics. We review the Newtonian theory
for disks using Riemann-Hilbert methods which can be extended to some extent to
the relativistic case where they lead to modular functions on Riemann surfaces.
In the case of compact surfaces these are Korotkin's finite gap solutions which
we will discuss in this paper. On the axis we establish for general genus
relations between the metric functions and hence the multipoles which are
enforced by the underlying hyperelliptic Riemann surface. Generalizing these
results to the whole spacetime we are able in principle to study the classes of
boundary value problems which can be solved on a given Riemann surface. We
investigate the cases of genus 1 and 2 of the Riemann surface in detail and
construct the explicit solution for a family of disks with constant angular
velocity and constant relative energy density which was announced in a previous
Physical Review Letter.Comment: 32 pages, 1 figure, to appear in Phys. Rev.
Harrison transformation of hyperelliptic solutions and charged dust disks
We use a Harrison transformation on solutions to the stationary axisymmetric
Einstein equations to generate solutions of the Einstein-Maxwell equations. The
case of hyperelliptic solutions to the Ernst equation is studied in detail.
Analytic expressions for the metric and the multipole moments are obtained. As
an example we consider the transformation of a family of counter-rotating dust
disks. The resulting solutions can be interpreted as disks with currents and
matter with a purely azimuthal pressure or as two streams of freely moving
charged particles. We discuss interesting limiting cases as the extreme limit
where the charge becomes identical to the mass, and the ultrarelativistic limit
where the central redshift diverges.Comment: 20 pages, 9 figure
Quantization of pure gravitational plane waves
Pure gravitational plane waves are considered as a special case of spacetimes
with two commuting spacelike Killing vector fields. Starting with a
midisuperspace that describes this kind of spacetimes, we introduce
gauge-fixing and symmetry conditions that remove all non-physical degrees of
freedom and ensure that the classical solutions are plane waves. In this way,
we arrive at a reduced model with no constraints and whose only degrees of
freedom are given by two fields. In a suitable coordinate system, the reduced
Hamiltonian that generates the time evolution of this model turns out to
vanish, so that all relevant information is contained in the symplectic
structure. We calculate this symplectic structure and particularize our
discussion to the case of linearly polarized plane waves. The reduced phase
space can then be described by an infinite set of annihilation and creation
like variables. We finally quantize the linearly polarized model by introducing
a Fock representation for these variables.Comment: 11 pages, Revtex, no figure
Physically Realistic Solutions to the Ernst Equation on Hyperelliptic Riemann Surfaces
We show that the class of hyperelliptic solutions to the Ernst equation (the
stationary axisymmetric Einstein equations in vacuum) previously discovered by
Korotkin and Neugebauer and Meinel can be derived via Riemann-Hilbert
techniques. The present paper extends the discussion of the physical properties
of these solutions that was begun in a Physical Review Letter, and supplies
complete proofs. We identify a physically interesting subclass where the Ernst
potential is everywhere regular except at a closed surface which might be
identified with the surface of a body of revolution. The corresponding
spacetimes are asymptotically flat and equatorially symmetric. This suggests
that they could describe the exterior of an isolated body, for instance a
relativistic star or a galaxy. Within this class, one has the freedom to
specify a real function and a set of complex parameters which can possibly be
used to solve certain boundary value problems for the Ernst equation. The
solutions can have ergoregions, a Minkowskian limit and an ultrarelativistic
limit where the metric approaches the extreme Kerr solution. We give explicit
formulae for the potential on the axis and in the equatorial plane where the
expressions simplify. Special attention is paid to the simplest non-static
solutions (which are of genus two) to which the rigidly rotating dust disk
belongs.Comment: 32 pages, 2 figures, uses pstricks.sty, updated version (October 7,
1998), to appear in Phys. Rev.
Dynamics of a lattice Universe
We find a solution to Einstein field equations for a regular toroidal lattice
of size L with equal masses M at the centre of each cell; this solution is
exact at order M/L. Such a solution is convenient to study the dynamics of an
assembly of galaxy-like objects. We find that the solution is expanding (or
contracting) in exactly the same way as the solution of a
Friedman-Lema\^itre-Robertson-Walker Universe with dust having the same average
density as our model. This points towards the absence of backreaction in a
Universe filled with an infinite number of objects, and this validates the
fluid approximation, as far as dynamics is concerned, and at the level of
approximation considered in this work.Comment: 14 pages. No figure. Accepted version for Classical and Quantum
Gravit
Absence of trapped surfaces and singularities in cylindrical collapse
The gravitational collapse of an infinite cylindrical thin shell of generic
matter in an otherwise empty spacetime is considered. We show that geometries
admitting two hypersurface orthogonal Killing vectors cannot contain trapped
surfaces in the vacuum portion of spacetime causally available to geodesic
timelike observers. At asymptotic future null infinity, however, congruences of
outgoing radial null geodesics become marginally trapped, due to convergence
induced by shear caused by the interaction of a transverse wave component with
the geodesics. The matter shell itself is shown to be always free of trapped
surfaces, for this class of geometries. Finally, two simplified matter models
are analytically examined. For one model, the weak energy condition is shown to
be a necessary condition for collapse to halt; for the second case, it is a
sufficient condition for collapse to be able to halt.Comment: 26 pages, revtex4, 1 eps figure; matches version to appear in Phys.
Rev. D (in press
Field Theoretical Quantum Effects on the Kerr Geometry
We study quantum aspects of the Einstein gravity with one time-like and one
space-like Killing vector commuting with each other. The theory is formulated
as a \coset nonlinear -model coupled to gravity. The quantum analysis
of the nonlinear -model part, which includes all the dynamical degrees
of freedom, can be carried out in a parallel way to ordinary nonlinear
-models in spite of the existence of an unusual coupling. This means
that we can investigate consistently the quantum properties of the Einstein
gravity, though we are limited to the fluctuations depending only on two
coordinates. We find the forms of the beta functions to all orders up to
numerical coefficients. Finally we consider the quantum effects of the
renormalization on the Kerr black hole as an example. It turns out that the
asymptotically flat region remains intact and stable, while, in a certain
approximation, it is shown that the inner geometry changes considerably however
small the quantum effects may be.Comment: 16 pages, LaTeX. The hep-th number added on the cover, and minor
typos correcte
The Geroch group in the Ashtekar formulation
We study the Geroch group in the framework of the Ashtekar formulation. In
the case of the one-Killing-vector reduction, it turns out that the third
column of the Ashtekar connection is essentially the gradient of the Ernst
potential, which implies that the both quantities are based on the ``same''
complexification. In the two-Killing-vector reduction, we demonstrate Ehlers'
and Matzner-Misner's SL(2,R) symmetries, respectively, by constructing two sets
of canonical variables that realize either of the symmetries canonically, in
terms of the Ashtekar variables. The conserved charges associated with these
symmetries are explicitly obtained. We show that the gl(2,R) loop algebra
constructed previously in the loop representation is not the Lie algebra of the
Geroch group itself. We also point out that the recent argument on the
equivalence to a chiral model is based on a gauge-choice which cannot be
achieved generically.Comment: 40 pages, revte
Quantum Dynamics of the Polarized Gowdy Model
The polarized Gowdy vacuum spacetimes are characterized, modulo
gauge, by a ``point particle'' degree of freedom and a function that
satisfies a linear field equation and a non-linear constraint. The quantum
Gowdy model has been defined by using a representation for on a Fock
space . Using this quantum model, it has recently been shown that the
dynamical evolution determined by the linear field equation for is not
unitarily implemented on . In this paper: (1) We derive the classical
and quantum model using the ``covariant phase space'' formalism. (2) We show
that time evolution is not unitarily implemented even on the physical Hilbert
space of states defined by the quantum constraint.
(3) We show that the spatially smeared canonical coordinates and momenta as
well as the time-dependent Hamiltonian for are well-defined,
self-adjoint operators for all time, admitting the usual probability
interpretation despite the lack of unitary dynamics.Comment: 24 pages, some typos correcte
Quantization of Midisuperspace Models
We give a comprehensive review of the quantization of midisuperspace models.
Though the main focus of the paper is on quantum aspects, we also provide an
introduction to several classical points related to the definition of these
models. We cover some important issues, in particular, the use of the principle
of symmetric criticality as a very useful tool to obtain the required
Hamiltonian formulations. Two main types of reductions are discussed: those
involving metrics with two Killing vector fields and spherically symmetric
models. We also review the more general models obtained by coupling matter
fields to these systems. Throughout the paper we give separate discussions for
standard quantizations using geometrodynamical variables and those relying on
loop quantum gravity inspired methods.Comment: To appear in Living Review in Relativit
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