1,418 research outputs found
Circular motion of neutral test particles in Reissner-Nordstr\"om spacetime
We investigate the motion of neutral test particles in the gravitational
field of a mass with charge described by the Reissner-Nordstr\"om (RN)
spacetime. We focus on the study of circular stable and unstable orbits around
configurations describing either black holes or naked singularities. We show
that at the classical radius, defined as , there exist orbits with zero
angular momentum due to the presence of repulsive gravity. The analysis of the
stability of circular orbits indicates that black holes are characterized by a
continuous region of stability. In the case of naked singularities, the region
of stability can split into two non-connected regions inside which test
particles move along stable circular orbits.Comment: 23 pages, 22 figures. To be published Phys. Rev.
On the structure of the burst and afterglow of Gamma-Ray Bursts I: the radial approximation
We have proposed three paradigms for the theoretical interpretation of
gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). (1) The relative space-time transformation (RSTT)
paradigm emphasizes how the knowledge of the entire world-line of the source
from the moment of gravitational collapse is a necessary condition to interpret
GRB data. (2) The interpretation of the burst structure (IBS) paradigm
differentiates in all GRBs between an injector phase and a beam-target phase.
(3) The GRB-supernova time sequence (GSTS) paradigm introduces the concept of
induced supernova explosion in the supernovae-GRB association. These three
paradigms are illustrated using our theory based on the vacuum polarization
process occurring around an electromagnetic black hole (EMBH theory) and using
GRB 991216 as a prototype. We illustrate the five fundamental eras of the EMBH
theory: the self acceleration of the pair-electromagnetic plasma (PEM
pulse), its interaction with the baryonic remnant of the progenitor star (PEMB
pulse). We then study the approach of the PEMB pulse to transparency, the
emission of the proper GRB (P-GRB) and its relation to the ``short GRBs''.
Finally the three different regimes of the afterglow are described within the
fully radiative and radial approximations. The best fit of the theory leads to
an unequivocal identification of the ``long GRBs'' as extended emission
occurring at the afterglow peak (E-APE). The relative intensities, the time
separation and the hardness ratio of the P-GRB and the E-APE are used as
distinctive observational test of the EMBH theory and the excellent agreement
between our theoretical predictions and the observations are documented. The
afterglow power-law indexes in the EMBH theory are compared and contrasted with
the ones in the literature, and no beaming process is found for GRB 991216.Comment: 96 pages, 40 figures, to appear on Int. Journ. Mod. Phys.
Maximum Mass-Radius Ratios for Charged Compact General Relativistic Objects
Upper limits for the mass-radius ratio and total charge are derived for
stable charged general relativistic matter distributions. For charged compact
objects the mass-radius ratio exceeds the value 4/9 corresponding to neutral
stars. General restrictions for the redshift and total energy (including the
gravitational contribution) are also obtained.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, RevTex. To appear in Europhys. Let
Thermalization of a nonequilibrium electron-positron-photon plasma
Starting from a nonequilibrium configuration we analyse the essential role of
the direct and the inverse binary and triple interactions in reaching an
asymptotic thermal equilibrium in a homogeneous isotropic
electron-positron-photon plasma. We focus on energies in the range 0.1--10 MeV.
We numerically integrate the integro-partial differential relativistic
Boltzmann equation with the exact QED collisional integrals taking into account
all binary and triple interactions in the plasma. We show that first, when
detailed balance is reached for all binary interactions on a timescale
sec, photons and electron-positron pairs establish
kinetic equilibrium. Successively, when triple interactions fulfill the
detailed balance on a timescale sec, the plasma reaches
thermal equilibrium. It is shown that neglecting the inverse triple
interactions prevents reaching thermal equilibrium. Our results obtained in the
theoretical physics domain also find application in astrophysics and cosmology.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, Phys. Rev. Lett., to appea
The relativistic Thomas-Fermi treatment for compressed atoms at finite temperatures
The degenerate relativistic Feynman, Metropolis and Teller treatment of compressed atoms is extended to finite temperatures. We present numerical calculations of the equation of state for dense matter as well as profiles of the electron density as a function of distance from the atomic nucleus for selected values of the total matter density and temperature. Marked differences appear especially in the low-density regimes
Phase transitions near black hole horizons
The Reissner-Nordstrom black hole in four dimensions can be made unstable
without violating the dominant energy condition by introducing a real massive
scalar with non-renormalizable interactions with the gauge field. New stable
black hole solutions then exist with greater entropy for fixed mass and charge
than the Reissner-Nordstrom solution. In these new solutions, the scalar
condenses to a non-zero value near the horizon. Various generalizations of
these hairy black holes are discussed, and an attempt is made to characterize
when black hole hair can occur.Comment: 30 pages, 6 figures. v2: minor corrections, references adde
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