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Andrea Geralico

Publications and source records attributed to Andrea Geralico.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
arXiv2014

Dynamics of quadrupolar bodies in a Schwarzschild spacetime

The dynamics of extended bodies endowed with multipolar structure up to the mass quadrupole moment is investigated in the Schwarzschild background according to the Dixon's model, extending previous works. The whole set of evolution equations is numerically integrated under the simplifying assumptions of constant frame components of the quadrupole tensor and that the motion of the center of mass be confined on the equatorial plane, the spin vector being orthogonal to it. The equations of motion are also solved analytically in the limit of small values of the characteristic length scales associated with the spin and quadrupole with respect to the background curvature characteristic length. The results are qualitatively and quantitatively different from previous analyses involving only spin structures. In particular, the presence of the quadrupole turns out to be responsible for the onset of a non-zero spin angular momentum, even if initially absent.

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arXiv2014

Particle scattering by a test fluid on a Schwarzschild spacetime: the equation of state matters

The motion of a massive test particle in a Schwarzschild spacetime surrounded by a perfect fluid with equation of state $p_0= w ρ_0$ is investigated. Deviations from geodesic motion are analyzed as a function of the parameter $w$, ranging from $w=1$ which corresponds to the case of massive free scalar fields, down into the so-called "phantom" energy, with $w<-1$. It is found that the interaction with the fluid distribution leads to capture (escape) of the particle trajectory in the case $1+w>0$ ($<0$), respectively. Based on this result, it is argued that inspection of the trajectories of test particles in the vicinity of a Schwarzschild black hole may offer a new means of gaining insights into the nature of cosmic matter.

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arXiv2014

Spin-geodesic deviations in the Schwarzschild spacetime

The deviation of the path of a spinning particle from a circular geodesic in the Schwarzschild spacetime is studied by an extension of the idea of geodesic deviation. Within the Mathisson-Papapetrou-Dixon model and assuming the spin parameter to be sufficiently small so that it makes sense to linearize the equations of motion in the spin variables as well as in the geodesic deviation, the spin-curvature force adds an additional driving term to the second order system of linear ordinary differential equations satisfied by nearby geodesics. Choosing initial conditions for geodesic motion leads to solutions for which the deviations are entirely due to the spin-curvature force, and one finds that the spinning particle position for a given fixed total spin oscillates roughly within an ellipse in the plane perpendicular to the motion, while the azimuthal motion undergoes similar oscillations plus an additional secular drift which varies with spin orientation.

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arXiv2014

Fermi coordinates in Schwarzschild spacetime: closed form expressions

Fermi coordinates are constructed as exact functions of the Schwar\-zschild coordinates around the world line of a static observer in the equatorial plane of the Schwarzschild spacetime modulo a single impact parameter determined implicitly as a function of the latter coordinates. This illustrates the difficulty of constructing explicit exact Fermi coordinates even along simple world lines in highly symmetric spacetimes.

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arXiv2014

Accelerated orbits in black hole fields: the static case

We study non-geodesic orbits of test particles endowed with a structure, assuming the Schwarzschild spacetime as background. We develop a formalism which allows one to recognize the geometrical characterization of those orbits in terms of their Frenet-Serret parameters and apply it to explicit cases as those of spatially circular orbits which witness the equilibrium under conflicting types of interactions. In our general analysis we solve the equations of motion offering a detailed picture of the dynamics having in mind a check with a possible astronomical set up. We focus on certain ambiguities which plague the interpretation of the measurements preventing one from identifying the particular structure carried by the particle.

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arXiv2014

Effect of radiation flux on test particle motion in the Vaidya spacetime

Motion of massive test particles in the nonvacuum spherically symmetric radiating Vaidya spacetime is investigated, allowing for physical interaction of the particles with the radiation field in terms of which the source energy-momentum tensor is interpreted. This "Poynting-Robertson-like effect" is modeled by the usual effective term describing a Thomson-type radiation drag force. The equations of motion are studied for simple types of motion including free motion (without interaction), purely radial and purely azimuthal (circular) motion, and for the particular case of "static" equilibrium; appropriate solutions are given where possible. The results---mainly those on the possible existence of equilibrium positions---are compared with their counterparts obtained previously for a test spherically symmetric radiation field in a vacuum Schwarzschild background.

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arXiv2014

The general relativistic Poynting-Robertson effect. II: A photon flux with nonzero angular momentum

We study the motion of a test particle in a stationary, axially and reflection symmetric spacetime of a central compact object, as affected by interaction with a test radiation field of the same symmetries. Considering the radiation flux with fixed but arbitrary (non-zero) angular momentum, we extend previous results limited to an equatorial motion within a zero-angular-momentum photon flux in the Kerr and Schwarzschild backgrounds. While a unique equilibrium circular orbit exists if the photon flux has zero angular momentum, multiple such orbits appear if the photon angular momentum is sufficiently high.

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arXiv2014

Spin-geodesic deviations in the Kerr spacetime

The dynamics of extended spinning bodies in the Kerr spacetime is investigated in the pole-dipole particle approximation and under the assumption that the spin-curvature force only slightly deviates the particle from a geodesic path. The spin parameter is thus assumed to be very small and the back reaction on the spacetime geometry neglected. This approach naturally leads to solve the Mathisson-Papapetrou-Dixon equations linearized in the spin variables as well as in the deviation vector, with the same initial conditions as for geodesic motion. General deviations from generic geodesic motion are studied, generalizing previous results limited to the very special case of an equatorial circular geodesic as the reference path.

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arXiv2014

Scattering by an electromagnetic radiation field

Motion of test particles in the gravitational field associated with an electromagnetic plane wave is investigated. The interaction with the radiation field is modeled by a force term {\it à la} Poynting-Robertson entering the equations of motion given by the 4-momentum density of radiation observed in the particle's rest frame with a multiplicative constant factor expressing the strength of the interaction itself. Explicit analytical solutions are obtained. Scattering of fields by the electromagnetic wave, i.e., scalar (spin 0), massless spin $\frac12$ and electromagnetic (spin 1) fields, is studied too.

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arXiv2014

The Kerr-Schild ansatz revised

Kerr-Schild metrics have been introduced as a linear superposition of the flat spacetime metric and a squared null vector field, say $\boldsymbol{k}$, multiplied by some scalar function, say $H$. The basic assumption which led to Kerr solution was that $\boldsymbol{k}$ be both geodesic and shearfree. This condition is relaxed here and Kerr-Schild ansatz is revised by treating Kerr-Schild metrics as {\it exact linear perturbations} of Minkowski spacetime. The scalar function $H$ is taken as the perturbing function, so that Einstein's field equations are solved order by order in powers of $H$. It turns out that the congruence must be geodesic and shearfree as a consequence of third and second order equations, leading to an alternative derivation of Kerr solution.

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arXiv2014

Physical frames along circular orbits in stationary axisymmetric spacetimes

Three natural classes of orthonormal frames, namely Frenet-Serret, Fermi-Walker and parallel transported frames, exist along any timelike world line in spacetime. Their relationships are investigated for timelike circular orbits in stationary axisymmetric spacetimes, and illustrated for black hole spacetimes.

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arXiv2014

Massless field perturbations of the spinning C metric

A single master equation is given describing spin $s\le2$ test fields that are gauge- and tetrad-invariant perturbations of the {\it spinning C metric} spacetime representing a source with mass $M$, uniformly rotating with angular momentum per unit mass $a$ and uniformly accelerated with acceleration $A$. This equation can be separated into its radial and angular parts. The behavior of the radial functions near the horizons is studied and used to examine the influence of $A$ on the phenomenon of superradiance, while the angular equation leads to modified spin-weighted spheroidal harmonic solutions generalizing those of the Kerr spacetime. Finally the coupling between the spin of the perturbing field and the acceleration parameter $A$ is discussed.

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arXiv2014

Strains and axial outflows in the field of a rotating black hole

We study the behaviour of an initially spherical bunch of accelerated particles emitted along trajectories parallel to the symmetry axis of a rotating black hole. We find that, under suitable conditions, curvature and inertial strains compete to model the shape of axial outflows of matter contributing to generate jet-like structures. This is of course a purely kinematical effect which does not account by itself for physical processes underlying the formation of jets. In our analysis a crucial role is played by a property of the electric and magnetic part of the Weyl tensor to be Lorentz-invariant boosting along the axis of symmetry in Kerr spacetime.

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arXiv2014

Charged massive particle at rest in the field of a Reissner-Nordström black hole. II. Analysis of the field lines and the electric Meissner effect

The properties of the electric field of a two-body system consisting of a Reissner-Nordström black hole and a charged massive particle at rest have recently been analyzed in the framework of first order perturbation theory following the standard approach of Regge, Wheeler and Zerilli. In the present paper we complete this analysis by numerically constructing and discussing the lines of force of the "effective" electric field of the sole particle with the subtraction of the dominant contribution of the black hole. We also give the total field due to the black hole and the particle. As the black hole becomes extreme an effect analogous to the Meissner effect arises for the electric field, with the "effective field" lines of the point charge being expelled by the outer horizon of the black hole. This effect existing at the level of test field approximation, i.e. by neglecting the backreaction on the background metric and electromagnetic field due to the particle's mass and charge, is here found also at the complete perturbative level. We point out analogies with similar considerations for magnetic fields by Bi{\v c}ák and Dvo{\v r}ák. We also explicitly show that the linearization of the recently obtained Belinski-Alekseev exact solution coincides with our solution in the Regge-Wheeler gauge. Our solution thus represents a "bridge" between the test field solution, which neglects all the feedback terms, and the exact two-body solution, which takes into account all the non-linearity of the interaction.

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arXiv2014

The effective geometry of the $n=1$ uniformly rotating self-gravitating polytrope

The \lq\lq effective geometry" formalism is used to study the perturbations of a perfect barotropic Newtonian self-gravitating rotating and compressible fluid coupled with gravitational backreaction. The case of a uniformly rotating polytrope with index $n=1$ is investigated, due to its analytical tractability. Special attention is devoted to the geometrical properties of the underlying background acoustic metric, focusing in particular on null geodesics as well as on the analog light cone structure.

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arXiv2014

Inertial effects in accelerating spacetimes

The motion of test particles along circular orbits in the vacuum $C$ metric is studied in the Frenet-Serret formalism. Special orbits and corresponding intrinsically defined geometrically relevant properties are selectively studied.

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arXiv2014

C metric: the equatorial plane and Fermi coordinates

We discuss geodesic motion in the vacuum C metric using Bondi-like spherical coordinates, with special attention to the role played by the "equatorial plane." We show that the spatial trajectory of photons on such a hypersurface is formally the same of photons on the equatorial plane of the Schwarzschild spacetime, apart from an energy shift involving the spacetime acceleration parameter. Furthermore, we show that photons starting their motion from this hypersurface with vanishing component of the momentum along $θ$, remain confined on it, differently from the case of massive particles. This effect is shown to have a counterpart also in the massless limit of the C metric, i.e. in Minkowski spacetime. Finally, we give the explict map between Bondi-like spherical coordinates and Fermi coordinates (up to the second order) for the world line of an observer at rest at a fixed spatial point of the equatorial plane of the C metric, a result which may be eventually useful to estimate both the mass and the acceleration parameter of accelerated sources.

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