Backreaction for Einstein-Rosen waves coupled to a massless scalar field

We present a one-parameter family of exact solutions to Einstein equations that may be used to study the nature of the Green-Wald backreaction framework. Our explicit example is a family of Einstein-Rosen waves coupled to a massless scalar field. This solution may be reinterpreted as a generalized three-torus polarized Gowdy cosmology with scalar and gravitational waves. We use it to illustrate essential properties of the Green-Wald approach. Among other things we show that within our model the Green-Wald framework uniquely determines backreaction for finite size inhomogeneities on a predefined background. The results agree with those calculated in the Charach-Malin approach. In the vacuum limit, the Green-Wald, the Charach-Malin and the Isaacson method imply identical backreaction as expected.Comment: 26 pages; minor changes to match published versio

Einstein clusters as models of inhomogeneous spacetimes

We study the effect of small-scale inhomogeneities for Einstein clusters. We construct a spherically symmetric stationary spacetime with small-scale radial inhomogeneities and propose the Gedankenexperiment. An hypothetical observer at the center constructs, using limited observational knowledge, a simplified homogeneous model of the configuration. An idealization introduces side effects. The inhomogeneous spacetime and the effective homogeneous spacetime are given by simple solutions to Einstein equations. They provide a basic toy-model for studies of the effect of small-scale inhomogeneities in general relativity. We show that within our highly inhomogeneous model the effect of small-scale inhomogeneities remains small for a central observer. The homogeneous model fits very well to all hypothetical observations as long as their precision is not high enough to reveal a tension.Comment: 23 pages; minor changes to match published versio

On the Ernst electro-vacuum equations and ergosurfaces

The question of smoothness at the ergosurface of the space-time metric constructed out of solutions (E,phi) of the Ernst electro-vacuum equations is considered. We prove smoothness of those ergosurfaces at which Re(E) provides the dominant contribution to f=-(Re(E)+|phi|^2) at the zero-level-set of f. Some partial results are obtained in the remaining cases: in particular we give examples of leading-order solutions with singular isolated "ergocircles".Comment: 15 pages, no figures, minor change

Black Hole Flyby

We calculate the minimum distance at which one may approach a black hole in a free flyby. It corresponds to r=4m for the Schwarzschild black hole and a probe which was non-relativistic at infinity. The problem is formulated in a way that is useful for teaching introductory general relativity.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures; changes to match published versio

Fractal Threshold Behavior in Vacuum Gravitational Collapse

We present the numerical evidence for fractal threshold behavior in the five dimensional vacuum Einstein equations satisfying the cohomogeneity-two triaxial Bianchi type-IX ansatz. In other words, we show that a flip of the wings of a butterfly may influence the process of the black hole formation.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures, minor change

Towards a classification of vacuum near-horizons geometries

We prove uniqueness of the near-horizon geometries arising from degenerate Kerr black holes within the collection of nearby vacuum near-horizon geometries.Comment: 16 pages, 3 figures; minor changes to match published versio

Standing waves in general relativity

We propose a covariant definition of standing gravitational waves in general relativity.Comment: 9 page