arXiv subjects

Jörg Hennig

Publications and source records attributed to Jörg Hennig.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Fully global numerical evolutions of the linearised spin-2 equation

We study the linearised spin-2 field on conformally compactified Minkowski spacetime. Initial data are prescribed on past null infinity $\mathscr{I}^-$, and the system is evolved through the cylinder at spatial infinity to future null infinity $\mathscr{I}^+$. To avoid the development of logarithmic singularities and thereby preserve smooth peeling behaviour, we derive explicit conditions on the freely specifiable ingoing gravitational radiation $ψ_0$ at $\mathscr{I}^-$ that ensure regular initial data. For compactly supported data, we obtain necessary and sufficient integral conditions guaranteeing regularity and compact support of the full system. In the simplest cases, we construct examples of exact initial data, while for the general case, we present a numerical procedure that computes the remaining $ψ_k$ to obtain a full initial data set. We perform numerical evolutions using two gauges corresponding to compactification of either a neighbourhood of spatial infinity or the entire Minkowski spacetime, and demonstrate stable propagation of the system from $\mathscr{I}^-$ to $\mathscr{I}^+$. These results provide a step towards a framework for fully global simulations of gravitational radiation and clarify the role of initial data on $\mathscr{I}^-$ in determining asymptotic structure.

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arXiv2026

The balance problem for $n$ aligned black holes

An intriguing open problem in general relativity is whether a stationary equilibrium configuration of multiple, physically relevant black holes can exist. In such a hypothetical setup, the gravitational attraction would need to be balanced by the repulsive spin-spin and electromagnetic interactions. This contribution reports on a method to address this problem for an arbitrary number of $n$ aligned, rotating and possibly charged black holes in an asymptotically flat spacetime. By employing soliton methods to study the underlying boundary value problem for the Einstein-Maxwell equations, we derive the most general form of the boundary data on the symmetry axis. The resulting axis potentials are necessarily rational functions of a specific form, depending on a finite number of parameters. This powerful result reduces the search for $n$-black-hole solutions from solving a highly nonlinear PDE system to analysing a well-defined, finite-parameter family of candidate solutions. We briefly review known results for special cases, such as the constructive uniqueness proofs for a single black hole in vacuum or electrovacuum, and the non-existence proof for two stationary black holes in vacuum, before stating the open problem for more general configurations.

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arXiv2025

Soliton methods and the black hole balance problem

This article is an extended version of a presentation given at KOZWaves 2024: The 6th Australasian Conference on Wave Science, held in Dunedin, New Zealand. Soliton methods were initially introduced to study equations such as the Korteweg--de Vries equation, which describes nonlinear water waves. Interestingly, the same methods can also be used to analyse equilibrium configurations in general relativity. An intriguing open problem is whether a relativistic $n$-body system can be in stationary equilibrium. Due to the nonlinear effect of spin-spin repulsion of rotating objects, and possibly considering charged bodies with additional electromagnetic repulsion, the existence of such unusual configurations remains a possibility. An important example is a (hypothetical) equilibrium configuration with $n$ aligned black holes. By studying a linear matrix problem equivalent to the Einstein equations for axisymmetric and stationary (electro-) vacuum spacetimes, we derive the most general form of the boundary data on the symmetry axis in terms of a finite number of parameters. In the simplest case $n=1$, this leads to a constructive uniqueness proof of the Kerr (-Newman) solution. For $n=2$ and vacuum, we obtain non-existence of stationary two-black-hole configurations. For $n=2$ with electrovacuum, and for larger $n$, it remains an open problem whether the well-defined finite solution families contain any physically reasonable solutions, i.e.\ spacetimes without anomalies such as naked singularities, magnetic monopoles, and struts.

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arXiv2024

Smooth Gowdy-symmetric generalised Taub-NUT solutions with polynomial initial data

We consider smooth Gowdy-symmetric generalised Taub-NUT solutions, a class of inhomogeneous cosmological models with spatial three-sphere topology. They are characterised by existence of a smooth past Cauchy horizon and, with the exception of certain singular cases, they also develop a regular future Cauchy horizon. Several examples of exact solutions were previously constructed, where the initial data (in form of the initial Ernst potentials) are polynomials of low degree. Here, we generalise to polynomial initial data of arbitrary degree. Utilising methods from soliton theory, we obtain a simple algorithm that allows us to construct the resulting Ernst potential with purely algebraic calculations. We also derive an explicit formula in terms of determinants, and we illustrate the method with two examples.

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arXiv2023

The characteristic initial value problem for the conformally invariant wave equation on a Schwarzschild background

We resume former discussions of the conformally invariant wave equation on a Schwarzschild background, with a particular focus on the behaviour of solutions near the 'cylinder', i.e. Friedrich's representation of spacelike infinity. This analysis can be considered a toy model for the behaviour of the full Einstein equations and the resulting logarithmic singularities that appear to be characteristic for massive spacetimes. The investigation of the Cauchy problem for the conformally invariant wave equation (Frauendiener and Hennig 2018, Class. Quantum Grav. 35, 065015) showed that solutions generically develop logarithmic singularities at infinitely many expansion orders at the cylinder, but an arbitrary finite number of these singularities can be removed by appropriately restricting the initial data prescribed at $t=0$. From a physical point of view, any data at $t=0$ are determined from the earlier history of the system and hence not exactly 'free data'. Therefore, it is appropriate to ask what happens if we 'go further back in time' and prescribe initial data as early as possible, namely at a portion of past null infinity, and on a second past null hypersurface to complete the initial value problem. Will regular data at past null infinity automatically lead to a regular evolution up to future null infinity? Or does past regularity restrict the solutions too much, and regularity at both null infinities is mutually exclusive? Or do we still have suitable degrees of freedom for the data that can be chosen to influence regularity of the solutions to any desired degree? In order to answer these questions, we study the corresponding characteristic initial value problem. In particular, we investigate in detail the appearance of singularities at expansion orders $n=0,\dots,4$ for angular modes $\ell=0,\dots,4$.

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arXiv2022

New Horizons for Fundamental Physics with LISA

The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) has the potential to reveal wonders about the fundamental theory of nature at play in the extreme gravity regime, where the gravitational interaction is both strong and dynamical. In this white paper, the Fundamental Physics Working Group of the LISA Consortium summarizes the current topics in fundamental physics where LISA observations of GWs can be expected to provide key input. We provide the briefest of reviews to then delineate avenues for future research directions and to discuss connections between this working group, other working groups and the consortium work package teams. These connections must be developed for LISA to live up to its science potential in these areas.

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arXiv2021

Fully pseudospectral solution of the conformally invariant wave equation on a Kerr background

We study axisymmetric solution to the conformally invariant wave equation on a Kerr background by means of numerical and analytical methods. Our main focus is on the behaviour of the solutions near spacelike infinity, which is appropriately represented as a cylinder. Earlier studies of the wave equation on a Schwarzschild background have revealed important details about the regularity of the corresponding solutions. It was found that, on the cylinder, the solutions generically develop logarithmic singularities at infinitely many orders. Moreover, these singularities also `spread' to future null infinity. However, by imposing certain regularity conditions on the initial data, the lowest-order singularities can be removed. Here we are interested in a generalisation of these results to a rotating black hole background and study the influence of the rotation rate on the properties of the solutions. To this aim, we first construct a conformal compactification of the Kerr solution which yields a suitable representation of the cylinder at spatial infinity. Besides analytical investigations on the cylinder, we numerically solve the wave equation with a fully pseudospectral method, which allows us to obtain highly accurate numerical solutions. This is crucial for a detailed analysis of the regularity of the solutions. In the Schwarzschild case, the numerical problem could effectively be reduced to solving $(1+1)$-dimensional equations. Here we present a code that can perform the full $2+1$ evolution as required for axisymmetric waves on a Kerr background.

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arXiv2020

Axis potentials for stationary $n$-black-hole configurations

We extend earlier discussions of the balance problem for two black holes and study stationary spacetimes containing an arbitrary number of $n$ aligned rotating and (possibly) charged black holes. For these hypothetical equilibrium configurations, we obtain the most general form of the boundary data on the symmetry axis in terms of a finite number of parameters. Hence future investigations of $n$-black-hole configurations can be restricted to studying properties of these finite families of solutions.

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arXiv2020

Explorations of the infinite regions of space-time

An important concept in Physics is the notion of an isolated system. It is used in many different areas to describe the properties of a physical system which has been isolated from its environment. The interaction with the `outside' is then usually reduced to a scattering process, in which incoming radiation interacts with the system, which in turn emits outgoing radiation. In Einstein's theory of gravitation isolated systems are modeled as asymptotically flat space-times. They provide the appropriate paradigm for the study of gravitational waves and their interaction with a material system or even only with themselves. In view of the emerging era of gravitational wave astronomy, in which gravitational wave signals from many different astrophysical sources are detected and interpreted, it is necessary to have a foundation for the theoretical and numerical treatments of these signals. Furthermore, from a purely mathematical point of view, it is important to have a full understanding of the implications of imposing the condition of asymptotic flatness onto solutions of the Einstein equations. While it is known that there exists a large class of asymptotically flat solutions of Einstein's equations, it is not known what the necessary and sufficient conditions at infinity are that have to be imposed on initial data so that they evolve into regular asymptotically flat space-times. The crux lies in the region near space-like infinity $i^0$ where incoming and outgoing radiation `meet'. In this paper we review the current knowledge and some of the analytical and numerical work that has gone into the attempt to understand the structure of asymptotically flat space-times near space-like and null-infinity.

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arXiv2019

On the balance problem for two rotating and charged black holes

It is an interesting open problem whether two non-extremal rotating and electrically charged black holes can be in physical equilibrium, which might be possible due to a balance between the gravitational attraction and the spin-spin and electrical repulsions. Exact candidate solutions were constructed, but it is unclear whether they are physically acceptable. These solutions were obtained by assuming a particular behaviour on the symmetry axis. However, it was not known whether the assumed form of the axis data covers the general case or whether data of some other type need to be considered as well. By studying a boundary value problem for the axisymmetric and stationary Einstein-Maxwell equations, we address this question and derive the most general form of permissible axis potentials for possible equilibrium configurations.

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arXiv2019

Smooth Gowdy-symmetric generalised Taub-NUT solutions in Einstein-Maxwell theory

We introduce a new class of inhomogeneous cosmological models as solutions to the Einstein-Maxwell equations in electrovacuum. The new models can be considered to be nonlinear perturbations, through an electromagnetic field, of the previously studied `smooth Gowdy-symmetric generalised Taub-NUT solutions' in vacuum. Utilising methods from soliton theory, we analyse the effects of the Maxwell field on global properties of the solutions. In particular, we show existence of regular Cauchy horizons, and we investigate special singular cases in which curvature singularities form.

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arXiv2018

Fully pseudospectral solution of the conformally invariant wave equation near the cylinder at spacelike infinity. III: Nonspherical Schwarzschild waves and singularities at null infinity

We extend earlier numerical and analytical considerations of the conformally invariant wave equation on a Schwarzschild background from the case of spherically symmetric solutions, discussed in Class. Quantum Grav. 34, 045005 (2017), to the case of general, nonsymmetric solutions. A key element of our approach is the modern standard representation of spacelike infinity as a cylinder. With a decomposition into spherical harmonics, we reduce the four-dimensional wave equation to a family of two-dimensional equations. These equations can be used to study the behaviour at the cylinder, where the solutions turn out to have logarithmic singularities at infinitely many orders. We derive regularity conditions that may be imposed on the initial data, in order to avoid the first singular terms. We then demonstrate that the fully pseudospectral time evolution scheme can be applied to this problem leading to a highly accurate numerical reconstruction of the nonsymmetric solutions. We are particularly interested in the behaviour of the solutions at future null infinity, and we numerically show that the singularities spread from the cylinder to null infinity. The observed numerical behaviour is consistent with similar logarithmic singularities found analytically on the cylinder. Finally, we demonstrate that even solutions with singularities at low orders can be obtained with high accuracy by virtue of a coordinate transformation that converts functions with logarithmic singularities into smooth solutions.

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arXiv2017

Fully pseudospectral solution of the conformally invariant wave equation near the cylinder at spacelike infinity. II: Schwarzschild background

It has recently been demonstrated (Class. Quantum Grav. 31, 085010, 2014) that the conformally invariant wave equation on a Minkowski background can be solved with a fully pseudospectral numerical method. In particular, it is possible to include spacelike infinity into the numerical domain, which is appropriately represented as a cylinder, and highly accurate numerical solutions can be obtained with a moderate number of gridpoints. In this paper, we generalise these considerations to the spherically-symmetric wave equation on a Schwarzschild background. In the Minkowski case, a logarithmic singularity at the future boundary is present at leading order, which can easily be removed to obtain completely regular solutions. An important new feature of the Schwarzschild background is that the corresponding solutions develop logarithmic singularities at infinitely many orders. This behaviour seems to be characteristic for massive space-times. In this sense this work is indicative of properties of the solutions of the Einstein equations near spatial infinity. The use of fully pseudospectral methods allows us to still obtain very accurate numerical solutions, and the convergence properties of the spectral approximations reveal details about the singular nature of the solutions on spacelike and null infinity. These results seem to be impossible to achieve with other current numerical methods. Moreover, we describe how to impose conditions on the asymptotic behaviour of initial data so that the leading-order logarithmic terms are avoided, which further improves the numerical accuracy.

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arXiv2016

Gowdy-symmetric cosmological models with Cauchy horizons ruled by non-closed null generators

Smooth Gowdy-symmetric generalized Taub-NUT solutions are a class of inhomogeneous cosmological models with spatial three-sphere topology. They have a past Cauchy horizon with closed null-generators, and they are generally expected to develop a second Cauchy horizon in the future. Here we generalize these models to allow for past Cauchy horizons ruled by non-closed null generators. In particular, we show local and global existence of such a class of solutions with two functional degrees of freedom. This removes a periodicity condition for the asymptotic data at the past Cauchy horizon that was required before. Moreover, we derive a three-parametric family of exact solutions within that class and study some of its properties.

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arXiv2016

New Gowdy-symmetric vacuum and electrovacuum solutions

We construct a 4-parameter family of inhomogeneous cosmological models, which contains two recently derived 3-parameter families as special cases. The corresponding exact vacuum solution to Einstein's field equations is obtained with methods from soliton theory. We also study properties of these models and find that they combine all interesting features of both earlier solution families: general regularity within the maximal globally hyperbolic region, particular singular cases in which a curvature singularity with a directional behaviour forms, a highly non-trivial causal structure, and Cauchy horizons whose null generators can have both closed or non-closed orbits. In the second part of the paper, we discuss the generalization from vacuum to electrovacuum. Moreover, we also present a family of exact solutions for that case and study its properties.

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arXiv2015

Gowdy-Symmetric Vacuum and Electrovacuum Solutions

"Smooth Gowdy-symmetric generalized Taub-NUT solutions" are a class of inhomogeneous cosmological vacuum models with a past and a future Cauchy horizon. In this proceedings contribution, we present families of exact solutions within that class, which contain the Taub solution as a special case, and discuss their properties. In particular, we show that, for a special choice of the parameters, the solutions have a curvature singularity with directional behaviour. For other parameter choices, the maximal globally hyperbolic region is singularity-free. We also construct extensions through the Cauchy horizons and analyse the causal structure of the solutions. Finally, we discuss the generalization from vacuum to electrovacuum and present an exact family of solutions for that case.

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arXiv2014

Stationary black-hole binaries: A non-existence proof

We resume former discussions of the question, whether the spin-spin repulsion and the gravitational attraction of two aligned black holes can balance each other. Based on the solution of a boundary problem for disconnected (Killing) horizons and the resulting violation of characteristic black hole properties, we present a non-existence proof for the equilibrium configuration in question. From a mathematical point of view, this result is a further example for the efficiency of the inverse ("scattering") method in non-linear theories.

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arXiv2014

Geometric relations for rotating and charged AdS black holes

We derive mass-independent equations and inequalities for Kerr-Newman-anti-de Sitter black holes. In particular, we obtain an equation that relates electric charge, angular momentum and the areas of the event and Cauchy horizons. An area-angular momentum-charge inequality is derived from this formula, which becomes an equality in the degenerate limit. The same equation is shown to hold for arbitrary degenerate black holes, which might, for example, be surrounded by matter.

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