Branes as BIons

A BIon may be defined as a finite energy solution of a non-linear field theory with distributional sources. By contrast a soliton is usually defined to have no sources. I show how harmonic coordinates map the exteriors of the topologically and causally non-trivial spacetimes of extreme p-branes to BIonic solutions of the Einstein equations in a topologically trivial spacetime in which the combined gravitational and matter energy momentum is located on distributional sources. As a consequence the tension of BPS p-branes is classically unrenormalized. The result holds equally for spacetimes with singularities and for those, like the M-5-brane, which are everywhere singularity free.Comment: Latex, 9 pages, no figure

The Action of Instantons with Nut Charge

We examine the effect of a non-trivial nut charge on the action of non-compact four-dimensional instantons with a U(1) isometry. If the instanton action is calculated by dimensionally reducing along the isometry, then the nut charge is found to make an explicit non-zero contribution. For metrics satisfying AF, ALF or ALE boundary conditions, the action can be expressed entirely in terms of quantities (including the nut charge) defined on the fixed point set of the isometry. A source (or sink) of nut charge also implies the presence of a Misner string coordinate singularity, which will have an important effect on the Hamiltonian of the instanton.Comment: 25 page

Flux-Confinement in Dilatonic Cosmic Strings

We study dilaton-electrodynamics in flat spacetime and exhibit a set of global cosmic string like solutions in which the magnetic flux is confined. These solutions continue to exist for a small enough dilaton mass but cease to do so above a critcal value depending on the magnetic flux. There also exist domain wall and Dirac monopole solutions. We discuss a mechanism whereby magnetic monopolesmight have been confined by dilaton cosmic strings during an epoch in the early universe during which the dilaton was massless.Comment: 8 pages, DAMTP R93/3

The Physics of 2-d Stringy Spacetimes

We examine the two-dimensional spacetimes that emerge from string theory. We find all the solutions with no tachyons, and show that the only non-trivial solution is the black hole spacetime. We examine the role of duality in this picture. We then explore the thermodynamics of these solutions which is complicated by the fact that only in two spacetime dimensions is it impossible to redefine the dilaton field in terms of a canonical scalar field. Finally, we extend our analysis to the heterotic string, and briefly comment on exact, as opposed to perturbative, solutions

Time-Dependent Multi-Centre Solutions from New Metrics with Holonomy Sim(n-2)

The classifications of holonomy groups in Lorentzian and in Euclidean signature are quite different. A group of interest in Lorentzian signature in n dimensions is the maximal proper subgroup of the Lorentz group, SIM(n-2). Ricci-flat metrics with SIM(2) holonomy were constructed by Kerr and Goldberg, and a single four-dimensional example with a non-zero cosmological constant was exhibited by Ghanam and Thompson. Here we reduce the problem of finding the general $n$-dimensional Einstein metric of SIM(n-2) holonomy, with and without a cosmological constant, to solving a set linear generalised Laplace and Poisson equations on an (n-2)-dimensional Einstein base manifold. Explicit examples may be constructed in terms of generalised harmonic functions. A dimensional reduction of these multi-centre solutions gives new time-dependent Kaluza-Klein black holes and monopoles, including time-dependent black holes in a cosmological background whose spatial sections have non-vanishing curvature.Comment: Typos corrected; 29 page

Nucleating Black Holes via Non-Orientable Instantons

We extend the analysis of black hole pair creation to include non- orientable instantons. We classify these instantons in terms of their fundamental symmetries and orientations. Many of these instantons admit the pin structure which corresponds to the fermions actually observed in nature, and so the natural objection that these manifolds do not admit spin structure may not be relevant. Furthermore, we analyse the thermodynamical properties of non-orientable black holes and find that in the non-extreme case, there are interesting modifications of the usual formulae for temperature and entropy.Comment: 27 pages LaTeX, minor typos are correcte

Black Hole Solutions of Kaluza-Klein Supergravity Theories and String Theory

We find U(1)_{E} \times U(1)_{M} non-extremal black hole solutions of 6-dimensional Kaluza-Klein supergravity theories. Extremal solutions were found by Cveti\v{c} and Youm\cite{C-Y}. Multi black hole solutions are also presented. After electro-magnetic duality transformation is performed, these multi black hole solutions are mapped into the the exact solutions found by Horowitz and Tseytlin\cite{H-T} in 5-dimensional string theory compactified into 4-dimensions. The massless fields of this theory can be embedded into the heterotic string theory compactified on a 6-torus. Rotating black hole solutions can be read off those of the heterotic string theory found by Sen\cite{Sen3}.Comment: 23 pages text(latex), a figure upon reques

Bohm and Einstein-Sasaki Metrics, Black Holes and Cosmological Event Horizons

We study physical applications of the Bohm metrics, which are infinite sequences of inhomogeneous Einstein metrics on spheres and products of spheres of dimension 5 <= d <= 9. We prove that all the Bohm metrics on S^3 x S^2 and S^3 x S^3 have negative eigenvalue modes of the Lichnerowicz operator and by numerical methods we establish that Bohm metrics on S^5 have negative eigenvalues too. We argue that all the Bohm metrics will have negative modes. These results imply that higher-dimensional black-hole spacetimes where the Bohm metric replaces the usual round sphere metric are classically unstable. We also show that the stability criterion for Freund-Rubin solutions is the same as for black-hole stability, and hence such solutions using Bohm metrics will also be unstable. We consider possible endpoints of the instabilities, and show that all Einstein-Sasaki manifolds give stable solutions. We show how Wick rotation of Bohm metrics gives spacetimes that provide counterexamples to a strict form of the Cosmic Baldness conjecture, but they are still consistent with the intuition behind the cosmic No-Hair conjectures. We show how the Lorentzian metrics may be created ``from nothing'' in a no-boundary setting. We argue that Lorentzian Bohm metrics are unstable to decay to de Sitter spacetime. We also argue that noncompact versions of the Bohm metrics have infinitely many negative Lichernowicz modes, and we conjecture a general relation between Lichnerowicz eigenvalues and non-uniqueness of the Dirichlet problem for Einstein's equations.Comment: 53 pages, 11 figure

Gravitational Instantons, Confocal Quadrics and Separability of the Schr\"odinger and Hamilton-Jacobi equations

A hyperk\"ahler 4-metric with a triholomorphic SU(2) action gives rise to a family of confocal quadrics in Euclidean 3-space when cast in the canonical form of a hyperk\"ahler 4-metric metric with a triholomorphic circle action. Moreover, at least in the case of geodesics orthogonal to the U(1) fibres, both the covariant Schr\"odinger and the Hamilton-Jacobi equation is separable and the system integrable.Comment: 10 pages Late

Dark Energy, Inflation and Extra Dimensions

We consider how accelerated expansion, whether due to inflation or dark energy, imposes strong constraints on fundamental theories obtained by compactification from higher dimensions. For theories that obey the null energy condition (NEC), we find that inflationary cosmology is impossible for a wide range of compactifications; and a dark energy phase consistent with observations is only possible if both Newton's gravitational constant and the dark energy equation-of-state vary with time. If the theory violates the NEC, inflation and dark energy are only possible if the NEC-violating elements are inhomogeneously distributed in thecompact dimensions and vary with time in precise synchrony with the matter and energy density in the non-compact dimensions. Although our proofs are derived assuming general relativity applies in both four and higher dimensions and certain forms of metrics, we argue that similar constraints must apply for more general compactifications.Comment: 26 pages, 1 figure. v2: reference added, typos correcte