Energy of test objects on black hole spacetimes: A brief review

In this paper, we review the issue of defining energy for test particles on a background stationary spacetime. We revisit the different notions of energy as defined by different observers. As is well known, the existence of a time-like isometry allows for the notion of total conserved energy to be well defined. We use this well known quantity to show that a gravitational potential energy can be consistently defined. As examples, we study the case of the exterior regions of an asymptotically flat black hole and of the $\Lambda>0$ Schwarzschild de Sitter case, where an asymptotic region is not available. We then consider the situation in which the test particle is absorbed by the black hole, and analyze the energetics in detail. In particular, we show that the notion of horizon energy as defined by the isolated horizons formalism provides a satisfactory notion of energy compatible with the particle's total conserved energy. With these choices, there is a global conservation of energy. Finally, we comment on a recent proposal to define energy of the black hole as seen by a nearby observer at rest, for which this feature is lost.Comment: 16 pages, no figures. Discussion expanded, de Sitter BH case included. Matches published versio

Inflationary Attractors and their Measures

Several recent misconceptions about the measure problem in inflation and the nature of inflationary attractors are addressed. We show that within the Hamiltonian system of flat Friedmann-Lema\^itre-Robertson-Walker cosmology coupled to a massive scalar field, the focussing of the Liouville measure on attractor solutions is brought about by a spread in a gauge degree of freedom - the spatial volume. Using this we show how the Liouville measure formulated on a surface of constant Hubble rate induces a probability distribution function on surfaces of other Hubble rates, and the attractor behaviour is seen through the focussing of this function on a narrow range of physical observables. One can conclude then that standard techniques from Hamiltonian dynamics suffice to provide a satisfactory description of attractor solutions and the measure problem. Updated to match published version.Comment: 8 pages, 1 figur

Reply to `Comment on "Quantum Bounce and Cosmic Recall"' [arXiv:0811.2790]

A recent Comment [arXiv:0811.2790] on the Letter 'Quantum Bounce and Cosmic Recall' by the authors is shown to arise from an incorrect understanding of the issues at hand and of our analysis. The conclusions of Bojowald's Comment are shown to add little to our work, to be irrelevant at best, and are further shown to be in contradiction with his own claims in the literature.Comment: 2 page