Super 0-brane and GS Superstring Actions on AdS_2 \times S^2

The super 0-brane and GS superstring actions on AdS$_2 \times S^2$ background with 2-form flux are constructed by supercoset approach. We find the super 0-brane action contains two parameters which are interpreted as the electric and magnetic charges of the super 0-brane. The obtained super 0-brane action describes the BPS saturated dyonic superparticle moving on AdS$_2 \times S^2$ background. The WZ action contains the required coupling with 2-form flux. For GS superstring, we find the string action on AdS$_2 \times S^2$ takes the same form as those in AdS$_3 \times S^3$ and AdS$_5 \times S^5$ with RR field background.Comment: 16 pages, LaTex file, minor typos corrected, reference adde

Stringy Robinson-Trautman Solutions

A class of solutions of the low energy string theory in four dimensions is studied. This class admits a geodesic, shear-free null congruence which is non-twisting but in general diverging and the corresponding solutions in Einstein's theory form the Robinson-Trautman family together with a subset of the Kundt's class. The Robinson-Trautman conditions are found to be frame invariant in string theory. The Lorentz Chern-Simons three form of the stringy Robinson-Trautman solutions is shown to be always closed. The stringy generalizations of the vacuum Robinson-Trautman equation are obtained and three subclasses of solutions are identified. One of these subclasses exists, among all the dilatonic theories, only in Einstein's theory and in string theory. Several known solutions including the dilatonic black holes, the pp- waves, the stringy C-metric and certain solutions which correspond to exact conformal field theories are shown to be particular members of the stringy Robinson-Trautman family. Some new solutions which are static or asymptotically flat and radiating are also presented. The radiating solutions have a positive Bondi mass. One of these radiating solutions has the property that it settles down smoothly to a black hole state at late retarded times.Comment: Latex, 30 Pages, 1 Figure; to appear in Phys. Rev.

Godel Spacetimes, Abelian Instantons, the Graviphoton Background and other Flacuum Solutions

We study the relations between all the vacua of Lorentzian and Euclidean d=4,5,6 SUGRAs with 8 supercharges, finding a new limiting procedure that takes us from the over-rotating near-horizon BMPV black hole to the Godel spacetime. The timelike compactification of the maximally supersymmetric Godel solution of N=1,d=5 SUGRA gives a maximally supersymmetric solution of pure Euclidean N=2,d=4 with flat space but non-trivial anti-selfdual vector field flux (``flacuum'') that, on the one hand, can be interpreted as an U(1) instanton on the 4-torus and that, on the other hand, coincides with the graviphoton background shown by Berkovits and Seiberg to produce the C-deformation introduced recently by Ooguri and Vafa. We construct flacuum solutions in other theories such as Euclidean type IIA supergravity.Comment: Latex file, 33 pages, 2 eps figures. Some misprints corrected and teh KG4 symmetry superalgebra adde

The aerodynamic derivatives with respect to sideslip for a delta wing with small dihedral at zero incidence at supersonic speeds

Summary.--Expressions are derived for the sideslip derivatives on the assumptions of the linearised theory of flow for a delta wing with small dihedral flying at supersonic speeds. A discussion is included in the Appendix on the relation between two methods that have been evolved for the treatmenf of aerodynamic force problems of the delta wing lying within its apex Mach cone. When the leading edges are within the Mach cone from the apex, the pressure distribution and the rolling moment are independent of Mach number but dependent on aspect ratio. When the leading edges are outside the apex Mach cone, the non-dimensional rolling derivative is, in contrast to the other case, dependent on Mach number and independent of aspect ratio : the other derivatives and the pressure, however, are dependent on both variables

Impulsive spherical gravitational waves

Penrose's identification with warp provides the general framework for constructing the continuous form of impulsive gravitational wave metrics. We present the 2-component spinor formalism for the derivation of the full family of impulsive spherical gravitational wave metrics which brings out the power in identification with warp and leads to the simplest derivation of exact solutions. These solutions of the Einstein vacuum field equations are obtained by cutting Minkowski space into two pieces along a null cone and re-identifying them with warp which is given by an arbitrary non-linear holomorphic transformation. Using 2-component spinor techniques we construct a new metric describing an impulsive spherical gravitational wave where the vertex of the null cone lies on a world-line with constant acceleration

The dynamics of apparent horizons in Robinson-Trautman spacetimes

We present an alternative scheme of finding apparent horizons based on spectral methods applied to Robinson-Trautman spacetimes. We have considered distinct initial data such as representing the spheroids of matter and the head-on collision of two non-rotating black holes. The evolution of the apparent horizon is presented. We have obtained in some cases a mass gap between the final Bondi and apparent horizon masses, whose implications were briefly commented in the light of the thermodynamics of black holes.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figure

Bound and trailing vortices in the linearised theory of supersonic flow, and the downwash in the wake of a delta wing

Summary.--The field of flow round a flat aerofoil at incidence can be regarded in linearised theory as the result of both bound and trailing vortices for supersonic as well as for low-speed flight. This leads to a convenient method, given the lift distribution over an aerofoil, for calculating the flow round it at supersonic speeds. As an application of the results the downwash is calculated in the wake of a delta wing lying within the Mach cone emanating from its apex. The downwash is found to be least just aft the trailing edge and is everywhere less than the downflow at the aerofoil. It increases steadily to a limiting value which is attained virtually within two chord lengths of the trailing edge. The ratio of the downwash at any point in the wake to the downflow at the aerofoil decreases with increasing Mach number and apex angle

A Reformulation of the Hoop Conjecture

A reformulation of the Hoop Conjecture based on the concept of trapped circle is presented. The problems of severe compactness in every spatial direction, and of how to superpose the hoops with the surface of the black hole, are resolved. A new conjecture concerning "peeling" properties of dynamical/trapping horizons is propounded. A novel geometric Hoop inequality is put forward. The possibility of carrying over the results to arbitrary dimension is discussed.Comment: 6 pages, no figures. New references included, typos corrected, explanatory comments added. Much shorter version, in order to match EPL length restrictions. To be published in EP

On the Bogomol'nyi bound in Einstein-Maxwell-dilaton gravity

It has been shown that the 4-dimensional Einstein-Maxwell-dilaton theory allows a Bogomol'nyi-type inequality for an arbitrary dilaton coupling constant $\alpha$, and that the bound is saturated if and only if the (asymptotically flat) spacetime admits a nontrivial spinor satisfying the gravitino and the dilatino Killing spinor equations. The present paper revisits this issue and argues that the dilatino equation fails to ensure the dilaton field equation unless the solution is purely electric/magnetic, or the dilaton coupling constant is given by $\alpha=0, \sqrt 3$, corresponding to the Brans-Dicke-Maxwell theory and the Kaluza-Klein reduction of 5-dimensional vacuum gravity, respectively. A systematic classification of the supersymmetric solutions reveals that the solution can be rotating if and only if the solution is dyonic or the coupling constant is given by $\alpha=0, \sqrt 3$. This implies that the theory with $\alpha \ne 0, \sqrt 3$ cannot be embedded into supergravity except for the static truncation. Physical properties of supersymmetric solutions are explored from various points of view.Comment: v2: 23 pages, typos corrected, minor modifications, to appear in CQ

Two-spinor Formulation of First Order Gravity coupled to Dirac Fields

Two-spinor formalism for Einstein Lagrangian is developed. The gravitational field is regarded as a composite object derived from soldering forms. Our formalism is geometrically and globally well-defined and may be used in virtually any 4m-dimensional manifold with arbitrary signature as well as without any stringent topological requirement on space-time, such as parallelizability. Interactions and feedbacks between gravity and spinor fields are considered. As is well known, the Hilbert-Einstein Lagrangian is second order also when expressed in terms of soldering forms. A covariant splitting is then analysed leading to a first order Lagrangian which is recognized to play a fundamental role in the theory of conserved quantities. The splitting and thence the first order Lagrangian depend on a reference spin connection which is physically interpreted as setting the zero level for conserved quantities. A complete and detailed treatment of conserved quantities is then presented.Comment: 16 pages, Plain TE