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Istvan Racz

Publications and source records attributed to Istvan Racz.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Evolutionary constraints: Gluing in a toy model

It is possible to solve the Einstein constraint equations as an evolutionary rather than an elliptic system. Here we consider the Gauss constraint in electrodynamics as a toy model for thist. We use a combination of the evolutionary method with the gluing construction to produce initial data for an electromagnetic pulse surrounded by vacuum. It turns out that solving the evolutionary form of the constraint is straightforward, and explicitly yields the desired type of initial data. In contrast, proving the existence of a solution to the same problem within the elliptic setting requires sophisticated arguments based on functional analysis.

gr-qc

Numerical investigation of the late-time tails of the solutions of the Fackerell-Ipser equation

The late-time behaviour of the solutions of the Fackerell-Ipser equation (which is a wave equation for the spin-zero component of the electromagnetic field strength tensor) on the closure of the domain of outer communication of sub-extremal Kerr spacetime is studied numerically. Within the Kerr family, the case of Schwarzschild background is also considered. Horizon-penetrating compactified hyperboloidal coordinates are used, which allow the behaviour of the solutions to be observed at the event horizon and at future null infinity as well. For the initial data, pure multipole configurations that have compact support and are either stationary or non-stationary are taken. It is found that with such initial data the solutions of the Fackerell-Ipser equation converge at late times either to a known static solution (up to a constant factor) or to zero. As the limit is approached, the solutions exhibit a quasinormal ringdown and finally a power-law decay. The exponents characterizing the power-law decay of the spherical harmonic components of the field variable are extracted from the numerical data for various values of the parameters of the initial data, and based on the results a proposal for a Price's law relevant to the Fackerell-Ipser equation is made. Certain conserved energy and angular momentum currents are used to verify the numerical implementation of the underlying mathematical model. In the construction of these currents a discrete symmetry of the Fackerell-Ipser equation, which is the product of an equatorial reflection and a complex conjugation, is also taken into account.

gr-qc

Resolving a gravitational wave memory paradox

Two different approaches to gravitational perturbation theory appear to give two different answers for the properties of gravitational wave memory. We show that this contradiction is only apparent and the two approaches actually agree.

gr-qc

On the Use of Multipole Expansion in Time Evolution of Non-linear Dynamical Systems and Some Surprises Related to Superradiance

A new numerical method is introduced to study the problem of time evolution of generic non-linear dynamical systems in four-dimensional spacetimes. It is assumed that the time level surfaces are foliated by a one-parameter family of codimension two compact surfaces with no boundary and which are conformal to a Riemannian manifold C. The method is based on the use of a multipole expansion determined uniquely by the induced metric structure on C. The approach is fully spectral in the angular directions. The dynamics in the complementary 1+1 Lorentzian spacetime is followed by making use of a fourth order finite differencing scheme with adaptive mesh refinement. In checking the reliability of the introduced new method the evolution of a massless scalar field on a fixed Kerr spacetime is investigated. In particular, the angular distribution of the evolving field in to be superradiant scattering is studied. The primary aim was to check the validity of some of the recent arguments claiming that the Penrose process, or its field theoretical correspondence---superradiance---does play crucial role in jet formation in black hole spacetimes while matter accretes onto the central object. Our findings appear to be on contrary to these claims as the angular dependence of a to be superradiant scattering of a massless scalar field does not show any preference of the axis of rotation. In addition, the process of superradiance, in case of a massless scalar field, was also investigated. On contrary to the general expectations no energy extraction from black hole was found even though the incident wave packets was fine tuned to be maximally superradiant. Instead of energy extraction the to be superradiant part of the incident wave packet fails to reach the ergoregion rather it suffers a total reflection which appears to be a new phenomenon.

gr-qc

Numerical investigation of the late-time Kerr tails

The late-time behavior of a scalar field on fixed Kerr background is examined in a numerical framework incorporating the techniques of conformal compactification and hyperbolic initial value formulation. The applied code is 1+(1+2) as it is based on the use of the spectral method in the angular directions while in the time-radial section fourth order finite differencing, along with the method of lines, is applied. The evolution of various types of stationary and non-stationary pure multipole initial states are investigated. The asymptotic decay rates are determined not only in the domain of outer communication but along the event horizon and at future null infinity as well. The decay rates are found to be different for stationary and non-stationary initial data, and they also depend on the fall off properties of the initial data toward future null infinity. The energy and angular momentum transfers are found to show significantly different behavior in the initial phase of the time evolution. The quasinormal ringing phase and the tail phase are also investigated. In the tail phase, the decay exponents for the energy and angular momentum losses at future null infinity are found to be smaller than at the horizon which is in accordance with the behavior of the field itself and it means that at late times the energy and angular momentum falling into the black hole become negligible in comparison with the energy and angular momentum radiated toward future null infinity. The energy and angular momentum balances are used as additional verifications of the reliability of our numerical method.

gr-qc

On the dynamics of relativistic multi-layer spherical shell systems

The relativistic time evolution of multi-layer spherically symmetric shell systems---consisting of infinitely thin shells separated by vacuum regions---is examined. Whenever two shells collide the evolution is continued with the assumption that the collision is totally transparent. The time evolution of various multi-layer shell systems---comprised by large number of shells thereby mimicking the behavior of a thick shell making it possible to study the formation of acoustic singularities---is analyzed numerically and compared in certain cases to the corresponding Newtonian time evolution. The analytic setup is chosen such that the developed code is capable of following the evolution even inside the black hole region. This, in particular, allowed us to investigate the mass inflation phenomenon in the chosen framework.

gr-qc

Gravitational collapse and topology change in spherically symmetric dynamical systems

A new numerical framework, based on the use of a simple first order strongly hyperbolic evolution equations, is introduced and tested in case of 4-dimensional spherically symmetric gravitating systems. The analytic setup is chosen such that our numerical method is capable to follow the time evolution even after the appearance of trapped surfaces, more importantly, until the true physical singularities are reached. Using this framework, the gravitational collapse of various gravity-matter systems are investigated, with distinguished attention to the evolution in trapped regions. It is justified that in advance to the formation of these curvature singularities, trapped regions develop in all cases, thereby supporting the validity of the weak cosmic censor hypothesis of Penrose. Various upper bounds on the rate of blow-up of the Ricci and Kretschmann scalars and the Misner-Sharp mass are provided. In spite of the unboundedness of the Ricci scalar, the Einstein-Hilbert action was found to remain finite in all the investigated cases. In addition, important conceptual issues related to the phenomenon of topology changes are also discussed.

gr-qc

Gravitational radiation and isotropic change of the spatial geometry

To simplify a number of considerations in the weak field approximation, including the determination of the response of interferometric gravitational wave detectors, the "transverse traceless" (TT) gauge is often used. While the identification of the corresponding gauge invariant part of the metric perturbations in the pure vacuum case is obvious, it is not widely known that the determination and the use of the TT part is much more complicated and, in turn, much less rewarding when sources are involved. It is shown here that likewise the transverse part of the electric current in the Coulomb gauge within Maxwell's theory the sources of the TT gauge part of the metric perturbations become non-local. This, in practice, invokes the necessity of the use of more adequate projection operators then the ones applied, e.g, in the weak field limit, and in many post-Newtonian considerations. It is also pointed out that, whenever nonlinear effects are taken into account, some of the conclusions concerning the response of interferometric gravitational wave detectors may be influenced. In particular, attention is called on the possibility that gravitational radiation may produce an isotropic change of the spatial geometry.

gr-qc

Stationary Black Holes as Holographs

Smooth spacetimes possessing a (global) one-parameter group of isometries and an associated Killing horizon in Einstein's theory of gravity are investigated. No assumption concerning the asymptotic structure is made, thereby, the selected spacetimes may be considered as generic distorted stationary black holes. First, spacetimes of arbitrary dimension, $n\geq 3$, with matter satisfying the dominant energy condition and allowing non-zero cosmological constant are investigated. In this part complete characterisation of the topology of the event horizon of ``distorted'' black holes is given. It is shown that the topology of the event horizon of ``distorted'' black holes is allowed to possess a much larger variety than that of the isolated black hole configurations. In the second part, 4-dimensional (non-degenerate) electrovac distorted black hole spacetimes are considered. It is shown that the spacetime geometry and the electromagnetic field are uniquely determined in the black hole region once the geometry of the bifurcation surface and one of the electromagnetic potentials are specified there. Conditions guaranteeing the same type of determinacy, in a neighbourhood of the event horizon, on the {\it domain of outer communication} side are also investigated. In particular, they are shown to be satisfied in the analytic case.

gr-qc

Slowly rotating fluid balls of Petrov type D

The second order perturbative field equations for slowly and rigidly rotating perfect fluid balls of Petrov type D are solved numerically. It is found that all the slowly and rigidly rotating perfect fluid balls up to second order, irrespective of Petrov type, may be matched to a possibly non-asymptotically flat stationary axisymmetric vacuum exterior. The Petrov type D interior solutions are characterized by five integration constants, corresponding to density and pressure of the zeroth order configuration, the magnitude of the vorticity, one more second order constant and an independent spherically symmetric second order small perturbation of the central pressure. A four-dimensional subspace of this five-dimensional parameter space is identified for which the solutions can be matched to an asymptotically flat exterior vacuum region. Hence these solutions are completely determined by the spherical configuration and the magnitude of the vorticity. The physical properties like equations of state, shapes and speeds of sound are determined for a number of solutions.

gr-qc

On the use of the Kodama vector field in spherically symmetric dynamical problems

It is shown that by making use of the Kodama vector field, as a preferred time evolution vector field, in spherically symmetric dynamical systems unexpected simplifications arise. In particular, the evolution equations relevant for the case of a massless scalar field minimally coupled to gravity are investigated. The simplest form of these equations in the 'canonical gauge' are known to possess the character of a mixed first order elliptic-hyperbolic system. The advantages related to the use of the Kodama vector field are two-folded although they show up simultaneously. First, it is found that the true degrees of freedom separate. Second, a subset of the field equations possessing the form of a first order symmetric hyperbolic system for these preferred degrees of freedom is singled out. It is also demonstrated, in the appendix, that the above results generalise straightforwardly to the case of a generic self-interacting scalar field.

gr-qc

Does the third law of black hole thermodynamics really have a serious failure?

The almost perfect correspondence between certain laws of classical black hole mechanics and the ordinary laws of thermodynamics is spoiled by the failure of the conventional back hole analogue of the third law. Our aim here is to contribute to the associated discussion by flashing light on some simple facts of black hole physics. However, no attempt is made to lay to rest the corresponding long lasting debate. Instead, merely some evidence is provided to make it clear that although the borderline between extremal and non-extremal black holes is very thin they are essentially different. Hopefully, a careful investigation of the related issues will end up with an appropriate form of the third law and hence with an unblemished setting of black hole thermodynamics.

gr-qc

On Further Generalization of the Rigidity Theorem for Spacetimes with a Stationary Event Horizon or a Compact Cauchy Horizon

A rigidity theorem that applies to smooth electrovac spacetimes which represent either (A) an asymptotically flat stationary black hole or (B) a cosmological spacetime with a compact Cauchy horizon ruled by closed null geodesics was given in a recent work \cite{frw}. Here we enlarge the framework of the corresponding investigations by allowing the presence of other type of matter fields. In the first part the matter fields are involved merely implicitly via the assumption that the dominant energy condition is satisfied. In the second part Einstein-Klein-Gordon (EKG), Einstein-[non-Abelian] Higgs (E[nA]H), Einstein-[Maxwell]-Yang-Mills-dilaton (E[M]YMd) and Einstein-Yang-Mills-Higgs (EYMH) systems are studied. The black hole event horizon or, respectively, the compact Cauchy horizon of the considered spacetimes is assumed to be a smooth non-degenerate null hypersurface. It is proven that there exists a Killing vector field in a one-sided neighborhood of the horizon in EKG, E[nA]H, E[M]YMd and EYMH spacetimes. This Killing vector field is normal to the horizon, moreover, the associated matter fields are also shown to be invariant with respect to it. The presented results provide generalizations of the rigidity theorems of Hawking (for case A) and of Moncrief and Isenberg (for case B) and, in turn, they strengthen the validity of both the black hole rigidity scenario and the strong cosmic censor conjecture of classical general relativity.

gr-qc

On the existence of Killing vector fields

In covariant metric theories of coupled gravity-matter systems the necessary and sufficient conditions ensuring the existence of a Killing vector field are investigated. It is shown that the symmetries of initial data sets are preserved by the evolution of hyperbolic systems.

gr-qc

On the Rigidity Theorem for Spacetimes with a Stationary Event Horizon or a Compact Cauchy Horizon

We consider smooth electrovac spacetimes which represent either (A) an asymptotically flat, stationary black hole or (B) a cosmological spacetime with a compact Cauchy horizon ruled by closed null geodesics. The black hole event horizon or, respectively, the compact Cauchy horizon of these spacetimes is assumed to be a smooth null hypersurface which is non-degenerate in the sense that its null geodesic generators are geodesically incomplete in one direction. In both cases, it is shown that there exists a Killing vector field in a one-sided neighborhood of the horizon which is normal to the horizon. We thereby generalize theorems of Hawking (for case (A)) and Isenberg and Moncrief (for case (B)) to the non-analytic case.

gr-qc

On Einstein's equations for spacetimes admitting a non-null Killing field

We consider the 3-dimensional formulation of Einstein's theory for spacetimes possessing a non-null Killing field $ξ^a$. It is known that for the vacuum case some of the basic field equations are deducible from the others. It will be shown here how this result can be generalized for the case of essentially arbitrary matter fields. The systematic study of the structure of the fundamental field equations is carried out. In particular, the existence of geometrically preferred reference systems is shown. Using local coordinates of this type two approaches are presented resulting resolvent systems of partial differential equations for the basic field variables. Finally, the above results are applied for perfect fluid spacetimes describing possible equilibrium configurations of relativistic dissipative fluids.

gr-qc

Generating New Perfect-fluid Solutions From Known Ones II

The properties of a transformation previously considered for generating new perfect-fluid solutions from known ones are further investigated. It is assumed that the four-velocity of the fluid is parallel to the stationary Killing field, and also that the norm and the twist potential of the stationary Killing field are functionally related. This case is complementary to the case studied in our previous paper. The transformation can be applied to generate possibly new perfect-fluid solutions from known ones only for the case of barotropic equation of state rho+3p=0 or, alternatively, for the case of a static spacetime. For static spacetimes our method recovers the Buchdahl transformation. It is demonstrated, moreover, that Herlt's technique for constructing stationary perfect-fluid solutions from static ones is, actually, a special case of the method considered in the present paper.

gr-qc