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Finnian Gray

Publications and source records attributed to Finnian Gray.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2026

Covariant variation for point-particle Lagrangians

Structureless test particles in general relativity follow geodesics. For extended bodies, higher-order multipole moments lead to departures from geodesic motion; in particular, spinning test bodies obey the Mathisson--Papapetrou--Dixon (MPD) equations. Similarly, the leading correction to the eikonal approximation for electromagnetic-wave propagation can be formulated as the nongeodesic propagation of spinning null particles. When the resulting equations are treated as standalone worldline models, with the relevant dynamical quantities defined only along the representative worldline, their variational formulation requires particular care.Following DeWitt's construction, we distinguish several types of variation, define the corresponding covariant variation for each, and identify the role of parallel transport in models that couple worldline variables to tensor fields. This framework simplifies the variational treatment of the MPD equations and yields a simple Lagrangian for the null-particle model of light propagation.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2025

Conserved quantities and integrability for massless spinning particles in general relativity

In general relativity, the dynamics of spinning particles is governed by the Mathisson-Papapetrou-Dixon equations, which are most commonly applied to massive bodies, but the framework also works in the massless case. Such massless versions naturally arise, for example, in the description of energy centroids of high-frequency wave packets. In this work, we consider massless spinning particles in spacetimes with hidden symmetries and we derive the generalized conservation laws associated with conformal Killing-Yano tensors. We then show that the spin Hall equations, a particular case of the Mathisson-Papapetrou-Dixon equations restricted to massless particles with longitudinal angular momentum, are completely integrable in a large class of type D spacetimes. Additionally, we also show that for massive spinning particles, the generalized Carter constant associated with Killing-Yano tensors is conserved independently of the choice of spin supplementary condition.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2025

Hidden symmetries and separability structures of Ovcharenko-Podolsk\'y and conformal-to-Carter spacetimes

Recently, a remarkable new class of spacetimes describing black holes immersed in a non-aligned electromagnetic field has been found. While still of type D, this class goes beyond the famous Pleba\'nski--Demia\'nski family. Here we demonstrate that the whole class admits a hidden symmetry encoded in the non-degenerate conformal Killing--Yano 2-form. Interestingly, as a direct consequence of non-alignment of the electromagnetic field and contrary to the Pleba\'nski--Demia\'nski class (where the field is aligned), such a symmetry no longer generates the full "tower of symmetries". Despite this, it enables one to separate variables in massless Hamilton--Jacobi, conformal wave, and massless Dirac equations, as well as allows one to tackle massless vector and tensor perturbations. These results provide a useful mathematical tool for discussing numerous (astrophysical) applications to be described by these metrics. Moreover, as we shall show, the novel spacetimes provide an interesting test-ground for studying the recently defined Penrose charges whose existence is intrinsically related to hidden rather than explicit symmetries.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2025

On a lower-dimensional Killing vector origin of irreducible Killing tensors

Considering a spacetime foliated by co-dimension-2 hypersurfaces, we find the conditions under which lower-dimensional symmetries of a base space can be lifted up to irreducible Killing tensors of the full spacetime. In this construction, the key ingredient for irreducibility is the non-commutativity of the underlying Killing vectors. It gives rise to a tower of growing rank Killing tensors determined by the structure constants of the corresponding Lie algebra. A canonical example of a metric with such emergent non-trivial hidden symmetries in all dimensions is provided by rotating (off-shell) generalized Lense-Thirring spacetimes, where the irreducible Killing tensors arise from the underlying spherical symmetry of the base space. A physical on-shell realization of this construction in four dimensions is embodied by a rotating black hole in the Einstein-Maxwell-Dilaton-Axion theory. Further examples of equal spinning Myers-Perry spacetimes and spacetimes built on planar and Taub-NUT base metrics are also discussed.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2024

Love symmetry in higher-dimensional rotating black hole spacetimes

We develop a method for constructing a 1-parameter family of globally-defined Love symmetry generators in rotating black hole spacetimes of general dimension. The key ingredient is to focus on the vicinity of the (physical) outer horizon, matching only the radial derivative and the outer horizon pole pieces of the Klein--Gordon operator in the black hole spacetime to the $SL(2,\mathbb{R})$ Casimir operator. After revisiting the 4D Kerr and 5D Myers--Perry cases, the procedure is illustrated on generalized Lense--Thirring spacetimes which describe a wide variety of slowly rotating black hole metrics in any number of dimensions. Such spacetimes are known to admit an extended tower of Killing tensor and Killing vector symmetries and, as demonstrated in this paper, allow for separability of the massive scalar wave equation in Myers--Perry-like coordinates. Interestingly, separability also occurs in the horizon-penetrating Painlev{\'e}--Gullstrand coordinates associated with the freely infalling observer who registers flat space around her all the way to singularity.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2024

Characteristic Gluing with $\Lambda$: III. High-differentiability nonlinear gluing

We prove a nonlinear characteristic $C^k$-gluing theorem for vacuum gravitational fields in Bondi gauge for a class of characteristic hypersurfaces near static vacuum $n$-dimensional backgrounds, $n\ge 3$, with any finite $k$, with cosmological constant $ \Lambda \in \mathbb{R}$, near Birmingham-Kottler backgrounds. This generalises the $C^2$-gluing of Aretakis, Czimek and Rodnianski, carried-out near light cones in four-dimensional Minkowski spacetime.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2024

The Unruh-DeWitt model and its joint interacting Hilbert space

In this work we make the connection between the Unruh-DeWitt particle detector model applied to quantum field theory in curved spacetimes and the rigorous construction of the spin-boson model. With some modifications, we show that existing results about the existence of a spin-boson ground state can be adapted to the Unruh-DeWitt model. In the most relevant scenario involving massless scalar fields in (3+1)-dimensional globally hyperbolic spacetimes, where the Unruh-DeWitt model describes a simplified model of light-matter interaction, we argue that common choices of the spacetime smearing functions regulate the ultraviolet behaviour of the model but can still exhibit infrared divergences. In particular, this implies the well-known expectation that the joint interacting Hilbert space of the model cannot be described by the tensor product of a two-dimensional complex Hilbert space and the Fock space of the vacuum representation. We discuss the conditions under which this problem does not arise and the relevance of the operator-algebraic approach for better understanding of particle detector models and their applications. Our work clarifies the connection between obstructions due to Haag's theorem and infrared bosons in the spin-boson models, and paves the way for more rigorous study of entanglement and communication in the UDW framework involving multiple detectors.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2024

Characteristic Gluing with $\Lambda$: II. Linearised equations in higher dimensions

We prove a gluing theorem for linearised vacuum gravitational fields in Bondi gauge on a class of characteristic hypersurfaces in static vacuum $(n+1)$-dimensional backgrounds with cosmological constant $ \Lambda \in \mathbb{R}$, $n\ge 4$. This generalises, in the linearised case, the pioneering analysis of Aretakis, Czimek and Rodnianski, carried-out on light cones in four-dimensional Minkowski spacetime.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2024

Homogeneous Symmetry Operators in Kerr--NUT--AdS Spacetimes

It is well known that the Kerr--NUT--AdS spacetimes possess hidden symmetries encoded in the so-called principal Killing--Yano tensor. In this paper, focusing on the four-dimensional case, we obtain a number of symmetry operators for scalar, vector, and tensor perturbations, that are of degree two (to be defined below) and homogeneous in the principal tensor. In particular, by considering homogeneous operators that are linear, quadratic, and cubic in the principal tensor, we recover a complete set of 4 mutually commuting operators for scalar perturbations, underlying the separability of (massive) scalar wave equation. Proceeding to vector and tensor perturbations of the Kerr--NUT--AdS spacetimes, we find a set of 7 and 8 commuting operators, respectively. It remains to be seen whether such operators can be used to separate the corresponding spin 1 and spin 2 test field equations in these spacetimes.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2023

Carrollian Motion in Magnetized Black Hole Horizons

We revisit the motion of massless particles with anyonic spin in the horizon of Kerr--Newman geometry. As recently shown, such particles can move within the horizon of the black hole due to the coupling of charges associated with a 2-parametric central extension of the 2-dimensional Carroll group to the magnetic field generated by the black hole -- the so called "anyonic spin-Hall effect". We show that the previously computed magnetic field is not invariant under Carroll diffeomorphisms and find another result which respects these symmetries of the horizon. We also consider a more astrophysically relevant case of a (weakly charged) rotating back hole placed in a uniform magnetic field, which could, for instance, be induced by the surrounding plasma. We show that a qualitatively similar magnetic field assisted anyonic spin-Hall effect takes place, even in the absence of black hole rotation. The theoretical possibility of a motion induced by a magnetic monopole is also studied.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2022

Modest holography and bulk reconstruction in asymptotically flat spacetimes

In this work we present a "modest" holographic reconstruction of the bulk geometry in asymptotically flat spacetime using the two-point correlators of boundary quantum field theory (QFT) in asymptotically flat spacetime. The boundary QFT lives on the null boundary of the spacetime, namely null infinity and/or the Killing horizons. The bulk reconstruction relies on two unrelated results: (i) there is a bulk-to-boundary type correspondence between free quantum fields living in the bulk manifold and free quantum fields living on its null boundary, and (ii) one can construct the metric by making use of the Hadamard expansion of the field living in the bulk. This holographic reconstruction is "modest" in that the fields used are non-interacting and not strong-weak holographic duality in the sense of AdS/CFT, but it works for generic asymptotically flat spacetime subject to some reasonably mild conditions.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2022

Holographic reconstruction of asymptotically flat spacetimes

We present a "holographic" reconstruction of bulk spacetime geometry using correlation functions of a massless field living at the "future boundary" of the spacetime, namely future null infinity $\mathscr{I}^+$. It is holographic in the sense that there exists a one-to-one correspondence between correlation functions of a massless field in four-dimensional spacetime $\mathcal{M}$ and those of another massless field living in three-dimensional null boundary $\mathscr{I}^+$. The idea is to first reconstruct the bulk metric $g_{μν}$ by "inverting" the bulk correlation functions and re-express the latter in terms of boundary correlators via the correspondence. This effectively allows asymptotic observers close to $\mathscr{I}^+$ to reconstruct the deep interior of the spacetime using only correlation functions localized near $\mathscr{I}^+$.

hep-th↗
arXiv2022

Slowly rotating black holes with exact Killing tensor symmetries

We present a novel family of slowly rotating black hole solutions in four, and higher dimensions, that extend the well known Lense-Thirring spacetime and solve the field equations to linear order in rotation parameter. As "exact metrics" in their own right, the new (non-vacuum) spacetimes feature the following two remarkable properties: i) near the black hole horizon they can be cast in the, manifestly regular, Painlevé-Gullstrand form and ii) they admit exact Killing tensor symmetries. We show these symmetries are inherited from the principal Killing-Yano tensor of the exact rotating black hole geometry in the slow rotation limit. This provides a missing link as to how the exact hidden symmetries emerge as rotation is switched on. Remarkably, in higher dimensions the novel generalized Lense-Thirring spacetimes feature a rapidly growing number of exact irreducible rank-2, as well as higher-rank, Killing tensors -- giving a first example of a physical spacetime with more hidden than explicit symmetries.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2022

Generalized Lense--Thirring metrics: higher-curvature corrections and solutions with matter

The Lense--Thirring spacetime describes a 4-dimensional slowly rotating approximate solution of vacuum Einstein equations valid to a linear order in rotation parameter. It is fully characterized by a single metric function of the corresponding static (Schwarzschild) solution. In this paper, we introduce a generalization of the Lense--Thirring spacetimes to the higher-dimensional multiply-spinning case, with an ansatz that is not necessarily fully characterized by a single (static) metric function. This generalization lets us study slowly rotating spacetimes in various higher curvature gravities as well as in the presence of non-trivial matter. Moreover, the ansatz can be recast in Painlev{é}--Gullstrand form (and thence is manifestly regular on the horizon) and admits a tower of exact rank-2 and higher rank Killing tensors that rapidly grows with the number of dimensions. In particular, we construct slowly multiply-spinning solutions in Lovelock gravity and notably show that in four dimensions Einstein gravity is the only non-trivial theory amongst all up to quartic curvature gravities that admits a Lense--Thirring solution characterized by a single metric function.

hep-th↗
arXiv2021

Quantum imprints of gravitational shockwaves

Gravitational shockwaves are simple exact solutions of Einstein equations representing the fields of ultrarelativistic sources and idealized gravitational waves (shocks). Historically, much work has focused on shockwaves in the context of possible black hole formation in high energy particle collisions, yet they remain at the forefront of research even today. Representing hard modes in the bulk, shocks give rise to the gravitational memory effect at the classical level and implant supertranslation (BMS) hair onto a classical spacetime at the quantum level. The aim of this paper is to further our understanding of the `information content' of such supertranslations. Namely, we show that, contrary to the several claims in the literature, a gravitational shockwave does leave a quantum imprint on the vacuum state of a test quantum field and that this imprint is accessible to local observers carrying Unruh--DeWitt (UDW) detectors in this spacetime.

hep-th↗
arXiv2021

Symmetry operators for the conformal wave equation in rotating black hole spacetimes

We present covariant symmetry operators for the conformal wave equation in the (off-shell) Kerr-NUT-AdS spacetimes. These operators, that are constructed from the principal Killing-Yano tensor, its `symmetry descendants', and the curvature tensor, guarantee separability of the conformal wave equation in these spacetimes. We next discuss how these operators give rise to a full set of conformally invariant mutually commuting operators for the conformally rescaled spacetimes and underlie the $R$-separability of the conformal wave equation therein. Finally, by employing the WKB approximation we derive the associated Hamilton-Jacobi equation with a scalar curvature potential term and show its separability in the Kerr-NUT-AdS spacetimes.

gr-qc↗