Instabilities in Higher-Dimensional Theories of Gravity

A number of models of nature incorporate dimensions beyond our observed four. In this thesis we examine some examples and consequences of classical instabilities that emerge in the higher-dimensional theories of gravity which can describe their low energy phenomenology. We first investigate a gravitational instability for black strings carrying momentum along an internal direction. We argue that this implies a new type of solution that is nonuniform along the extra dimension and find that there is a boost dependent critical dimension for which they are stable. Our analysis implies the existence of an analogous instability for the five-dimensional black ring. We construct a simple mode of the black ring to aid in applying these results and argue that such rings should exist in any number of space-time dimensions. Next we consider a recently constructed class of nonsupersummetric solutions of type IIB supergravity which are everywhere smooth and have no horizon. We demonstrate that these solutions are all classically unstable. The instability is a generic feature of horizonless geometries with an ergoregion. We consider the endpoint of this instability and argue that the solutions decay to supersymmetric configurations. We also comment on the implications of the ergoregion instability for Mathur's 'fuzzball' proposal. Finally, we consider an interesting braneworld cosmology in the Randall-Sundrum scenario constructed using a bulk space-time which corresponds to a charged AdS black hole. In particular, these solutions appear to 'bounce', making a smooth transition from a contracting to an expanding phase. By considering the space-time geometry more carefully, we demonstrate that generically in these solutions the brane will encounter a singularity in the transition region

Bouncing Cosmology in Three Dimensions

We consider a dynamical two-brane in a four dimensional black hole background with scalar hair. At high temperature this black hole goes through a phase transition by radiating away the scalar. The end phase is a topological adS-Schwarzschild black hole. We argue here that for a sufficiently low temperature, the brane motion in this geometry is non-singular. This results in a universe which passes over from a contracting phase to an expanding one without reaching a singularity.Comment: 7 pages, LaTex, 3 figures, Journal versio

Black Rings, Boosted Strings and Gregory-Laflamme

We investigate the Gregory-Laflamme instability for black strings carrying KK-momentum along the internal direction. We demonstrate a simple kinematical relation between the thresholds of the classical instability for the boosted and static black strings. We also find that Sorkin's critical dimension depends on the internal velocity and in fact disappears for sufficiently large boosts. Our analysis implies the existence of an analogous instability for the five-dimensional black ring of Emparan and Reall. We also use our results for boosted black strings to construct a simple model of the black ring and argue that such rings exist in any number of space-time dimensions.Comment: 26 pages, 6 figure

Born-Infeld black holes in the presence of a cosmological constant

We construct asymptotically anti-deSitter (and deSitter) black hole solutions of Einstein-Born-Infeld theory in arbitrary dimension. We critically analyse their geometries and discuss their thermodynamic properties.Comment: 10 Pages, 6 Figures, LaTeX, to appear in Phys. Letts.

Domain Wall Dynamics in Brane World and Non-singular Cosmological Models

We study brane cosmology as 4D (4-dimensional) domain wall dynamics in 5D bulk spacetime. For a generic 5D bulk with 3D maximal symmetry, we derive the equation of motion of a domain wall and find that it depends on mass function of the bulk spacetime and the energy-momentum conservation in a domain wall is affected by a lapse function in the bulk. Especially, for a bulk spacetime with non-trivial lapse function, energy of matter field on the domain wall goes out or comes in from the bulk spacetime. Applying our result to the case with SU(2) gauge bulk field, we obtain a singularity-free universe in brane world scenario, that is, not only a big bang initial singularity of the brane is avoided but also a singularity in a 5D bulk does not exist.Comment: 12 pages, 11 figures, submitted to PRD. One reference is added. (v2

Bouncing cosmological solutions and their stability

In the present paper we consider the bouncing braneworld scenario, in which the bulk is given by a five-dimensional charged AdS black hole spacetime with matter field confined in a $D_3$ brane. Then, we study the stability of solutions with respect to homogeneous and isotropic perturbations. Specifically, the AdS black hole with zero ADM mass and charge, and open horizon is an attractor, while the charged AdS black hole with zero ADM mass and flat horizon, is a repeller.Comment: 9 pages, 1 figur

Bouncing cosmological solutions due to the self-gravitational corrections and their stability

In this paper we consider the bouncing braneworld scenario, in which the bulk is given by a five-dimensional AdS black hole spacetime with matter field confined in a $D_3$ brane. Exploiting the CFT/FRW-cosmology relation, we consider the self-gravitational corrections to the first Friedmann-like equation which is the equation of the brane motion. The self-gravitational corrections act as a source of stiff matter contrary to standard FRW cosmology where the charge of the black hole plays this role. Then, we study the stability of solutions with respect to homogeneous and isotropic perturbations. Specifically, if we do not consider the self-gravitational corrections, the AdS black hole with zero ADM mass, and open horizon is an attractor, while, if we consider the self-gravitational corrections, the AdS black hole with zero ADM mass and flat horizon, is a repellerComment: 9 pages, no figure

Generalized Holographic Cosmology

We consider general black hole solutions in five-dimensional spacetime in the presence of a negative cosmological constant. We obtain a cosmological evolution via the gravity/gauge theory duality (holography) by defining appropriate boundary conditions on a four-dimensional boundary hypersurface. The standard counterterms are shown to renormalize the bare parameters of the system (the four-dimensional Newton's constant and cosmological constant). We discuss the thermodynamics of cosmological evolution and present various examples. The standard brane-world scenarios are shown to be special cases of our holographic construction.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figure

Instability of non-supersymmetric smooth geometries

Recently certain non-supersymmetric solutions of type IIb supergravity were constructed [hep-th/0504181], which are everywhere smooth, have no horizons and are thought to describe certain non-BPS microstates of the D1-D5 system. We demonstrate that these solutions are all classically unstable. The instability is a generic feature of horizonless geometries with an ergoregion. We consider the endpoint of this instability and argue that the solutions decay to supersymmetric configurations. We also comment on the implications of the ergoregion instability for Mathur's `fuzzball' proposal.Comment: v2: typos corrected, reference adde

Stability Analysis of Superconducting Electroweak Vortices

We carry out a detailed stability analysis of the superconducting vortex solutions in the Weinberg-Salam theory described in Nucl.Phys. B826 (2010) 174. These vortices are characterized by constant electric current $I$ and electric charge density $I_0$, for ${I}\to 0$ they reduce to Z strings. We consider the generic field fluctuations around the vortex and apply the functional Jacobi criterion to detect the negative modes in the fluctuation operator spectrum. We find such modes and determine their dispersion relation, they turn out to be of two different types, according to their spatial behavior. There are non-periodic in space negative modes, which can contribute to the instability of infinitely long vortices, but they can be eliminated by imposing the periodic boundary conditions along the vortex. There are also periodic negative modes, but their wavelength is always larger than a certain minimal value, so that they cannot be accommodated by the short vortex segments. However, even for the latter there remains one negative mode responsible for the homogeneous expansion instability. This mode may probably be eliminated when the vortex segment is bent into a loop. This suggests that small vortex loops balanced against contraction by the centrifugal force could perhaps be stable.Comment: 42 pages, 11 figure