arXiv subjects

João P. A. Novo

Publications and source records attributed to João P. A. Novo.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Vacuum, ma non troppo: hidden matter distribution in symmetry-transformed electrovacuum spacetimes

We analyse two static spacetimes, recently generated from a Schwarzschild--Bertotti--Robinson electrovacuum seed through distinct symmetry transformations. The electromagnetic field of the transformed solutions can be set to zero and both solutions were presented as vacuum solutions of General Relativity. However, we show that once recast in Weyl form, both metrics are seen to be supported by a semi-infinite annular mass distribution on the equatorial plane. Thus, these metrics harbour a hidden matter source, visible in Weyl coordinates. In the original Schwarzschild-like coordinates equatorial null geodesics reach spatial infinity ($r\to\infty$) in finite affine parameter. In the Weyl representation, these geodesics approach the inner edge of the annulus, where the coordinate map degenerates.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2025

Light rings on stationary axisymmetric spacetimes: blind to the topology and able to coexist

It has been established that Black Hole (BH) spacetimes obeying some general set of assumptions always possess, at least, one light ring (per rotation sense) [arXiv:2003.06445]. This theorem was originally established for asymptotically flat, stationary, axial symmetric, 1+3 dimensional circular spacetimes harbouring a non-extremal and topologically spherical Killing horizon. Following the mantra that a theorem is only as strong as its assumptions in this work we extend this theorem to non topologically spherical (toroidal) BHs and to spacetimes harbouring more than one BH. As in [arXiv:2003.06445], we show that each BH still contributes with, at least, one LR (per rotation sense).

gr-qc↗

arXiv2025

Darkness cannot bind them: a no-bound theorem for $d=5$ Myers-Perry null & timelike geodesics

In Newtonian gravity, it is well known that Kepler's problem admits no bound solutions in more than three spatial dimensions. This limitation extends naturally to General Relativity, where Tangherlini demonstrated that Schwarzschild black holes in higher dimensions admit no bound timelike geodesics. However, an analogous result for the rotating counterpart of the five-dimensional Tangherlini spacetime - the $d=5$ Myers-Perry black hole - has not yet been established. This work addresses this gap by proving that no bound timelike geodesics exist outside the event horizon of a $d=5$ Myers-Perry black hole, for any choice of spin parameters that avoid naked singularities. With this result in place, we further generalize to null geodesics. It is shown that radially bound null geodesics, which are absent in the four-dimensional Kerr spacetime as established by Wilkins, also cannot exist in the $d=5$ Myers-Perry spacetime. These results complete the geodesic analysis of this spacetime and provide a direct generalization of Wilkins' classical result to higher dimensions. Specifically, we establish the following theorem: no radially bound timelike or null geodesics are possible outside the event horizon of a $d=5$ Myers-Perry black hole, regardless of the spin configuration.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2024

Hypershadows of higher dimensional black objects: a case study of cohomogeneity-one d=5 Myers-Perry

What does a black hole look like? In 1+3 spacetime dimensions, the optical appearance of a black hole is a bidimensional region in the observer's sky often called the black hole shadow, as supported by the EHT observations. In higher dimensions this question is more subtle and observational setup dependent. Previous studies considered the shadows of higher dimensional black holes to remain bidimensional. We argue that the latter should be regarded as a tomography of a higher dimensional structure, the hypershadow, which would be the structure "seen" by higher dimensional observers. As a case study we consider the cohomogeneity-one Myers-Perry black hole in 1+4 dimensions, and compute its tridimensional hypershadow.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2023

Kaluza-Klein monopole with scalar hair

We construct a new family of rotating black holes with scalar hair and a regular horizon of spherical topology, within five dimensional ($d=5$) Einstein's gravity minimally coupled to a complex, massive scalar field doublet. These solutions represent generalizations of the Kaluza-Klein monopole found by Gross, Perry and Sorkin, with a twisted $S^1$ bundle over a four dimensional Minkowski spacetime being approached in the far field. The black holes are described by their mass, angular momentum, tension and a conserved Noether charge measuring the hairiness of the configurations. They are supported by rotation and have no static limit, while for vanishing horizon size, they reduce to boson stars. When performing a Kaluza-Klein reduction, the $d=5$ solutions yield a family of $d=4$ spherically symmetric dyonic black holes with gauged scalar hair. This provides a link between two seemingly unrelated mechanisms to endow a black hole with scalar hair: the $d=5$ synchronization condition between the scalar field frequency and the event horizon angular velocity results in the $d=4$ resonance condition between the scalar field frequency and the electrostatic chemical potential.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2022

Null and timelike circular orbits from equivalent 2D metrics

The motion of particles on spherical $1 + 3$ dimensional spacetimes can, under some assumptions, be described by the curves on a 2-dimensional manifold, the optical and Jacobi manifolds for null and timelike curves, respectively. In this paper we resort to auxiliary 2-dimensional metrics to study circular geodesics of generic static, spherically symmetric, and asymptotically flat $1 + 3$ dimensional spacetimes, whose functions are at least $C^2$ smooth. This is done by studying the Gaussian curvature of the bidimensional equivalent manifold as well as the geodesic curvature of circular paths on these. This study considers both null and timelike circular geodesics. The study of null geodesics through the optical manifold retrieves the known result of the number of light rings (LRs) on the spacetime outside a black hole and on spacetimes with horizonless compact objects. With an equivalent procedure we can formulate a similar theorem on the number of marginally stable timelike circular orbits (TCOs) of a given spacetime satisfying the previously mentioned assumption

gr-qc↗