arXiv subjects

Carmen Chicone

Publications and source records attributed to Carmen Chicone.

16 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2021

Jacobi Fields and Tidal Effects in Kerr Spacetime

General relativistic tidal equations are formulated with respect to the rest frame of a central gravitational source described by the Kerr gravitational field. Specifically, observers that are spatially at rest in the exterior Kerr spacetime are considered in detail; in effect, these fiducial observers define the rest frame of the Kerr source. The generalized Jacobi equation for the free motion of a test particle is worked out within the Fermi coordinate system established along the world line of a fiducial observer at rest on the symmetry axis of the exterior Kerr background. The nature of the solutions of these equations are investigated in connection with the phenomena associated with astrophysical jets.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2021

Spinning Particles in Twisted Gravitational Wave Spacetimes

Twisted gravitational waves (TGWs) are nonplanar waves with twisted rays that move along a fixed direction in space. We study further the physical characteristics of a recent class of Ricci-flat solutions of general relativity representing TGWs with wave fronts that have negative Gaussian curvature. In particular, we investigate the influence of TGWs on the polarization of test electromagnetic waves and on the motion of classical spinning test particles in such radiation fields. To distinguish the polarization effects of twisted waves from plane waves, we examine the theoretical possibility of existence of spin-twist coupling and show that this interaction is generally consistent with our results.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2020

Relativistic Tidal Acceleration of Astrophysical Jets

Within the framework of general relativity, we investigate the tidal acceleration of astrophysical jets relative to the central collapsed configuration ("Kerr source"). We neglect electromagnetic forces throughout. The rest frame of the Kerr source is locally defined via the set of hypothetical static observers in the spacetime exterior to the source. Relative to such a fiducial observer fixed on the rotation axis of the Kerr source, jet particles are tidally accelerated to almost the speed of light if their outflow speed is above a certain threshold, given roughly by one half of the Newtonian escape velocity at the location of the reference observer; otherwise, the particles reach a certain height, reverse direction and fall back toward the gravitational source.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2018

Twisted Gravitational Waves

In general relativity (GR), linearized gravitational waves propagating in empty Minkowski spacetime along a fixed spatial direction have the property that the wave front is the Euclidean plane. Beyond the linear regime, exact plane waves in GR have been studied theoretically for a long time and many exact vacuum solutions of the gravitational field equations are known that represent plane gravitational waves. These have parallel rays and uniform wave fronts. It turns out, however, that GR also admits exact solutions representing gravitational waves propagating along a fixed direction that are nonplanar. The wave front is then nonuniform and the bundle of rays is twisted. We find a class of solutions representing nonplanar unidirectional gravitational waves and study some of the properties of these twisted waves.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2017

Anisotropic Gravitational Collapse and Cosmic Jets

Consider a dynamic general relativistic spacetime in which the proper infinitesimal interval along one spatial coordinate direction decreases monotonically with time, while the corresponding intervals increase along other spatial directions. In a system undergoing such complete anisotropic collapse/expansion, we look for the formation of a cosmic double-jet configuration: free test particles in the ambient medium, relative to the collapsing system, gain energy from the gravitational field and asymptotically line up parallel and antiparallel to the direction of collapse such that their Lorentz factors approach infinity. A strong burst of electromagnetic radiation is expected to accompany this event if some of the free test particles carry electric charge. Previous work in this direction involved mainly Ricci-flat spacetimes; hence, we concentrate here on inhomogeneous perfect fluid spacetimes. We briefly explore the possible connection between these theoretical cosmic jets and astrophysical jets. We also discuss other general relativistic scenarios for the formation of cosmic jets.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2010

Nonlocal Modification of Newtonian Gravity

The Newtonian regime of a recent nonlocal extension of general relativity (GR) is investigated. Nonlocality is introduced via a scalar "constitutive" kernel in a special case of the translational gauge theory of gravitation, namely, the teleparallel equivalent of GR. In this theory, the nonlocal aspect of gravity simulates dark matter. A nonlocal and nonlinear generalization of Poisson's equation of Newtonian gravitation is presented. The implications of nonlocality for the gravitational physics in the solar system are briefly studied.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2008

Gravitational induction

We study the linear post-Newtonian approximation to general relativity known as gravitoelectromagnetism (GEM); in particular, we examine the similarities and differences between GEM and electrodynamics. Notwithstanding some significant differences between them, we find that a special nonstationary metric in GEM can be employed to show {\it explicitly} that it is possible to introduce gravitational induction within GEM in close analogy with Faraday's law of induction and Lenz's law in electrodynamics. Some of the physical implications of gravitational induction are briefly discussed.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2008

Minimal Distortion Morphs Generated by Time-Dependent Vector Fields

A morph between two Riemannian $n$-manifolds is an isotopy between them together with the set of all intermediate manifolds equipped with Riemannian metrics. We propose measures of the distortion produced by some classes of morphs and diffeomorphisms between two isotopic Riemannian $n$-manifolds and, with respect to these classes, prove the existence of minimal distortion morphs and diffeomorphisms. In particular, we consider the class of time-dependent vector fields (on an open subset $Ω$ of $ \R^{n+1}$ in which the manifolds are embedded) that generate morphs between two manifolds $M$ and $N$ via an evolution equation, define the bending and the morphing distortion energies for these morphs, and prove the existence of minimizers of the corresponding functionals in the set of time-dependent vector fields that generate morphs between $M$ and $N$ and are $L^2$ functions from $[0,1]$ to the Sobolev space $W^{k,2}_0(Ω,\R^{n+1})$.

math.OC↗

arXiv2008

Deformation Minimal Bending of Compact Manifolds: Case of Simple Closed Curves

The problem of minimal distortion bending of smooth compact embedded connected Riemannian $n$-manifolds $M$ and $N$ without boundary is made precise by defining a deformation energy functional $Φ$ on the set of diffeomorphisms $\diff(M,N)$. We derive the Euler-Lagrange equation for $Φ$ and determine smooth minimizers of $Φ$ in case $M$ and $N$ are simple closed curves.

math.OC↗

arXiv2007

Minimal Distortion Bending and Morphing of Compact Manifolds

Let $M$ and $N$ be compact smooth oriented Riemannian $n$-manifolds without boundary embedded in $\mathbb{R}^{n+1}$. Several problems about minimal distortion bending and morphing of $M$ to $N$ are posed. Cost functionals that measure distortion due to stretching or bending produced by a diffeomorphism $h:M \to N$ are defined, and new results on the existence of minima of these cost functionals are presented. In addition, the definition of a morph between two manifolds $M$ and $N$ is given, and the theory of minimal distortion morphing of compact manifolds is reviewed.

math.OC↗

arXiv2007

Distortion Minimal Morphing I: The Theory For Stretching

We consider the problem of distortion minimal morphing of $n$-dimensional compact connected oriented smooth manifolds without boundary embedded in $\R^{n+1}$. Distortion involves bending and stretching. In this paper, minimal distortion (with respect to stretching) is defined as the infinitesimal relative change in volume. The existence of minimal distortion diffeomorphisms between diffeomorphic manifolds is proved. A definition of minimal distortion morphing between two isotopic manifolds is given, and the existence of minimal distortion morphs between every pair of isotopic embedded manifolds is proved.

math.DG↗

arXiv2001

What are the equations of motion of classical physics?

Action at a distance in Newtonian physics is replaced by finite propagation speeds in classical physics, the physics defined by the field theories of Maxwell and Einstein. As a result, the differential equations of motion in Newtonian physics are replaced in classical physics by functional differential equations, where the delay associated with the finite propagation speed (the speed of light) is taken into account. Newtonian equations of motion, with post-Newtonian corrections, are often used to approximate the functional differential equations of motion. Some mathematical issues related to the problem of extracting the ``correct'' approximate Newtonian equations of motion are discussed.

gr-qc↗

arXiv1996

Evolutionary Dynamics While Trapped in Resonance: A Keplerian Binary System Perturbed by Gravitational Radiation

The method of averaging is used to investigate the phenomenon of capture into resonance for a model that describes a Keplerian binary system influenced by radiation damping and external normally incident periodic gravitational radiation. The dynamical evolution of the binary orbit while trapped in resonance is elucidated using the second order partially averaged system. This method provides a theoretical framework that can be used to explain the main evolutionary dynamics of a physical system that has been trapped in resonance.

gr-qc↗

arXiv1996

Gravitational Ionization: A Chaotic Net in the Kepler System

The long term nonlinear dynamics of a Keplerian binary system under the combined influences of gravitational radiation damping and external tidal perturbations is analyzed. Gravitational radiation reaction leads the binary system towards eventual collapse, while the external periodic perturbations could lead to the ionization of the system via Arnold diffusion. When these two opposing tendencies nearly balance each other, interesting chaotic behavior occurs that is briefly studied in this paper. It is possible to show that periodic orbits can exist in this system for sufficiently small damping. Moreover, we employ the method of averaging to investigate the phenomenon of capture into resonance.

gr-qc↗

arXiv1996

On the Ionization of a Keplerian Binary System by Periodic Gravitational Radiation

The gravitational ionization of a Keplerian binary system via normally incident periodic gravitational radiation of definite helicity is discussed. The periodic orbits of the planar tidal equation are investigated on the basis of degenerate continuation theory. The relevance of the Kolmogorov-Arnold-Moser theory to the question of gravitational ionization is elucidated, and it is conjectured that the process of ionization is closely related to the Arnold diffusion of the perturbed system.

gr-qc↗

arXiv1993

Periodic Solutions of a System of Coupled Oscillators Near Resonance

Summary: A system of autonomous ordinary differential equations depending on a small parameter is considered such that the unperturbed system has an invariant manifold of periodic solutions that is not normally hyperbolic but is normally nondegenerate. The bifurcation function whose zeros are the bifurcation points for families of perturbed periodic solutions is determined. This result is applied to find the periodic solutions near resonance for a two degree of freedom mechanical system modeling a rotor interacting with an elastic support.

chao-dyn↗