arXiv subjects

Akash K Mishra

Publications and source records attributed to Akash K Mishra.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Birkhoff's Theorem and Uniqueness: A Peek Beyond General Relativity

In General Relativity, Birkhoff's theorem asserts that any spherically symmetric vacuum solution must be static and asymptotically flat. In this paper, we study the validity of Birkhoff's theorem for a broad class of modified gravity theories in four spacetime dimensions, including quadratic and higher-order gravity models. We demonstrate that the Schwarzschild spacetime remains the unique Einstein branch solution outside any spherically symmetric configuration of these theories. Consequently, unlike black holes, the breakdown of junction conditions at the surface of the star further implies that the actual spacetime metric outside a horizonless star in these modified theories cannot simultaneously be spherically symmetric and remain within the Einstein branch. This insight offers a unique observational probe for theories beyond General Relativity.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2025

Black Hole Spectroscopy with Conditional Variational Autoencoder

Gravitational waves provide a unique opportunity to test general relativity in the strong-field regime, enabling the extraction of key physical parameters from observational data. Traditional likelihood-based inference methods, while robust, become computationally expensive in high-dimensional parameter spaces, such as when incorporating multiple ringdown modes or beyond Kerr deviations. In this paper, we explore the implementation of a conditional variational autoencoder-based machine-learning framework for accelerated ringdown parameter estimation. As a first application, we use the neural network to infer the remnant properties of a final black hole under the Kerr hypothesis. We demonstrate the performance of this algorithm with simulated ringdown waveforms consistent with advanced LIGO sensitivity and compare with Bayesian analysis results. We further extend the framework beyond the Kerr paradigm by incorporating deviations predicted in braneworld gravity.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2025

Connecting quasi-normal modes with causality in Lovelock theories of gravity

The eikonal correspondence between the quasi-normal modes (QNMs) of asymptotically flat static spherically symmetric black holes and the properties of unstable null circular geodesics is studied in the case of higher dimensional Lovelock black holes (BHs). It is known that such correspondence does not generically hold for gravitational QNMs associated with BHs in Lovelock theories. In the present work, we revisit this correspondence and establish the relationship between the eikonal QNMs and the causal properties of the gravitational field equations in Lovelock theories of gravity.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2024

Probing Spacetime Symmetries Using Gravitational Wave Ringdown

The uniqueness and rigidity theorems assert that the asymptotically flat, vacuum, stationary rotating black hole solution in general relativity must be the Kerr solution, exhibiting novel symmetries such as axisymmetry and circularity. In our analysis of post-merger ringdown signal from coalescing black hole binary systems, we identify potential observational signatures for deviations from these Kerr symmetries. Utilizing ringdown data from the gravitational wave event GW150914, we place significant constraints on such deviations. Our analysis introduces a new and novel approach for testing spacetime symmetries through gravitational wave observations.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2024

Bounds on tidal charges from gravitational-wave ringdown observations

Black hole solutions in the braneworld scenario are predicted to possess a tidal charge parameter, leaving imprints in the quasinormal spectrum. We conduct an extensive computation of such spectrum, and use it to construct a waveform model for the ringdown relaxation regime of binary black hole mergers observed by LIGO and Virgo. Applying a Bayesian time-domain analysis formalism, we analyse a selected dataset from the GWTC-3 LIGO-Virgo-Kagra catalog of binary coalescences, bounding the value of the tidal charge. With our analysis we obtain the first robust constraints on such charges, highlighting the importance of accounting for the previously ignored correlations with the other black hole intrinsic parameters.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2023

Regularized Stable Kerr Black Hole: Cosmic Censorships, Shadow and Quasi-Normal Modes

Black hole solutions in general relativity come with pathologies such as singularity and mass inflation instability, which are believed to be cured by a yet-to-be-found quantum theory of gravity. Without such consistent description, one may model theory-agnostic phenomenological black holes that bypass the aforesaid issues. These so-called regular black holes are extensively studied in the literature using parameterized modifications over the black hole solutions of general relativity. However, since there exist several ways to model such black holes, it is important to study the consistency and viability of these solutions from both theoretical and observational perspectives. In this work, we consider a recently proposed model of regularized stable rotating black holes having two extra parameters in addition to the mass and spin of a Kerr solution. We start by computing their quasi-normal modes under scalar perturbation and investigate the impact of those additional parameters on black hole stability. In the second part, we study the shadow structures of these regularized black holes and obtain stringent bounds on the parameter space requiring consistency with Event Horizon Telescope observations of $M87^*$ and $Sgr\, A^*$ shadows.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2022

Constraining extra dimensions using observations of black hole quasi-normal modes

The presence of extra dimensions generically modify the spacetime geometry of a rotating black hole, by adding an additional hair, besides the mass $M$ and the angular momentum $J$, known as the `tidal charge' parameter, $β$. In a braneworld scenario with one extra spatial dimension, the extra dimension is expected to manifest itself through -- (a) negative values of $β$, and (b) modified gravitational perturbations. This in turn would affect the quasi-normal modes of rotating black holes. We numerically solve the perturbed gravitational field equations using the continued fractions method and determine the quasi-normal mode spectra for the braneworld black hole. We find that increasingly negative values of $β$ correspond to a diminishing imaginary part of the quasi-normal mode, or equivalently, an increasing damping time. Using the publicly available data of the properties of the remnant black hole in the gravitational wave signal GW150914, we check for consistency between the predicted values (for a given $β$) of the frequency and damping time of the least-damped $\ell=2,m=2$ quasi-normal mode and measurements of these quantities using other independent techniques. We find that it is highly unlikely for the tidal charge, $β\lesssim -0.05$, providing a conservative limit on the tidal charge parameter. Implications and future directions are discussed.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2021

Overcharging Extremal Black Holes

The Weak Cosmic Censorship (WCC) conjecture can be used as a consistency criterion for any viable modification over general relativity (GR). We employ this idea to show that in contrast to the black holes in GR, it is indeed possible to overcharge modified extremal black hole solutions. Demanding the validity of WCC, we put some stringent constraints on various parameters of the theory. In particular, for charged Einstein-aether black hole, our method is strong enough to reproduce the identical bound on the parameter obtained previously from entirely different considerations.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2020

Quasinormal modes and Strong Cosmic Censorship in the regularised 4D Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet gravity

The fate of strong cosmic censorship is ultimately linked to the extendibility of perturbation across the Cauchy Horizon and known to be violated in the near extremal region of a charged de Sitter black hole. Similar violations can also be realized in higher curvature theories, with the strength of violation becoming stronger as compared to general relativity. In this work, we extend this analysis further to study the validity of strong cosmic censorship conjecture in the context of the regularised four-dimensional Einstein Gauss-Bonnet theory with respect to both scalar and electromagnetic perturbation. We also study the late time tails of scalar fields.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2020

Strong Cosmic Censorship in higher curvature gravity

Deterministic nature of general relativity is ensured by the strong cosmic censorship conjecture, which asserts that spacetime cannot be extended beyond Cauchy horizon with square integrable connection. Although this conjecture holds true for asymptotically flat black hole spacetimes in general relativity, a potential violation of this conjecture occurs in charged asymptotically de Sitter spacetimes. Since it is expected that Einstein-Hilbert action will involve higher curvature corrections, in this article we have studied whether one can restore faith in the strong cosmic censorship when higher curvature corrections to general relativity are considered. Contrary to our expectations, we have explicitly demonstrated that not only a violation to the conjecture occurs near extremality, but the violation appears to become stronger as the strength of the higher curvature term increases.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2019

Constraints on higher curvature gravity from time delay between GW170817 and GRB 170817A

General relativity may be an effective theory with higher curvature correction terms in the action. Inclusion of these terms leads to exciting new possibilities, e.g., gravitational and electromagnetic perturbations following different geodesics; leading to a time delay. Such a time delay was observed between the gravitational wave event GW170817 and its electromagnetic counterpart GRB 170817A. We describe how this effect can be used to constrain the coupling of the higher curvature term. Our method is sufficiently general and applicable to any higher curvature theory.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2019

Overcharging a multi black hole system and cosmic censorship

We study the generalization of the gadenken experiment of overcharging an extremal black hole proposed by Wald in the context of a multi black hole solution. In particular, we attempt to overcharge a system of two extremal black holes via test particle absorption to produce a system involving a black hole and a naked singularity. If such a process is possible, then this would be a potential violation of the cosmic censorship hypothesis. However, we find that, analogous to Wald's result for a single charged black hole, such a test particle which can expose the singularity, would not be able to enter the horizon. This provides an interesting and non-trivial example that supports the validity of the cosmic censorship hypothesis in four-dimensional general relativity.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2019

Understanding photon sphere and black hole shadow in dynamically evolving spacetimes

We have derived the differential equation governing the evolution of the photon sphere for dynamical black hole spacetimes with or without spherical symmetry. Numerical solution of the same depicting evolution of the photon sphere has been presented for Vaidya, Reissner-Nordström-Vaidya and de-Sitter Vaidya spacetimes. It has been pointed out that evolution of the photon sphere depends crucially on the validity of the null energy condition by the in-falling matter and may present an observational window to even test it through black hole shadow. We have also presented the evolution of the photon sphere for slowly rotating Kerr-Vaidya spacetime and associated structure of black hole shadow. Finally, the effective graviton metric for Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet gravity has been presented, and the graviton sphere has been contrasted with the photon sphere in this context.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2018

Black Hole Topology in $f(R)$ Gravity

Hawking's topology theorem in general relativity restricts the cross-section of the event horizon of a black hole in $3+1$ dimension to be either spherical or toroidal. The toroidal case is ruled out by the topology censorship theorems. In this article, we discuss the generalization of this result to black holes in $f(R)$ gravity in $3+1$ and higher dimensions. We obtain a sufficient differential condition on the function $f'(R)$, which restricts the topology of the horizon cross-section of a black hole in $f(R)$ gravity in $3+1$ dimension to be either $S^2$ or $S^1 \times S^1$. We also extend the result to higher dimensional black holes and show that the same sufficient condition also restricts the sign of the Yamabe invariant of the horizon cross-section.

gr-qc↗