Multiply Unstable Black Hole Critical Solutions

The gravitational collapse of a complex scalar field in the harmonic map is modeled in spherical symmetry. Previous work has shown that a change of stability of the attracting critical solution occurs in parameter space from the discretely self-similarity critical (DSS) solution originally found by Choptuik to the continuously self-similar (CSS) solution found by Hirschmann and Eardley. In the region of parameter space in which the DSS is the attractor, a family of initial data is found which finds the CSS as its critical solution despite the fact that it has more than one unstable mode. An explanation of this is proposed in analogy to families that find the DSS in the region where the CSS is the attractor.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figure

The Nonlinear Sigma Model With Distributed Adaptive Mesh Refinement

An adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) scheme is implemented in a distributed environment using Message Passing Interface (MPI) to find solutions to the nonlinear sigma model. Previous work studied behavior similar to black hole critical phenomena at the threshold for singularity formation in this flat space model. This work is a follow-up describing extensions to distribute the grid hierarchy and presenting tests showing the correctness of the model.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figure

Threshold of Singularity Formation in the Semilinear Wave Equation

Solutions of the semilinear wave equation are found numerically in three spatial dimensions with no assumed symmetry using distributed adaptive mesh refinement. The threshold of singularity formation is studied for the two cases in which the exponent of the nonlinear term is either $p=5$ or $p=7$. Near the threshold of singularity formation, numerical solutions suggest an approach to self-similarity for the $p=7$ case and an approach to a scale evolving static solution for $p=5$.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figure

Scalar Collapse in AdS

Recently, studies of the gravitational collapse of a scalar field within spherically symmetric AdS spacetimes was presented in \cite{Bizon:2011gg,Jalmuzna:2011qw} which showed an instability of pure AdS to black hole formation. In particular, the work showed that arbitrarily small initial configurations of scalar field evolved through some number of reflections off the AdS boundary until a black hole forms. We consider this same system, extended to include a complex scalar field, and reproduce this phenomena. We present tests of our numerical code that demonstrate convergence and consistency. We study the properties of the evolution as the scalar pulse becomes more compact examining the asymptotic behavior of the scalar field, an observable in the corresponding boundary CFT. We demonstrate that such BH formation occurs even when one places a reflecting boundary at finite radius indicating that the sharpening is a property of gravity in a bounded domain, not of AdS itself. We examine how the initial energy is transferred to higher frequencies --which leads to black hole formation-- and uncover interesting features of this transfer.Comment: 34 pages, 11 figures; Revised to be more consistent with published version: updated references, an added paragraph, and a subsection remove