arXiv subjects

Jorge E. Santos

Publications and source records attributed to Jorge E. Santos.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2025

Ill-posedness of the Cauchy problem for linearized gravity in a cavity with conformal boundary conditions

We consider Lorentzian General Relativity in a cavity with a timelike boundary, with conformal boundary conditions and also a generalization of these boundary conditions. We focus on the linearized gravitational dynamics about the static empty cavity whose boundary has spherical spatial geometry. It has been recently shown that there exist dynamical instabilities, whose angular dependence is given in terms of spherical harmonics $Y_{\ell m}$, and whose coefficient of exponential growth in time goes as $\sim \ell^{1/3}$. We use these modes to construct a sequence of solutions for which the initial data converge to zero as $\ell \rightarrow \infty$ but for which the solution itself does not converge to zero. This implies a lack of continuity of solutions on initial data, which shows that the initial value problem with these boundary conditions is not well-posed. This is in tension with recent mathematical work on well-posedness for such boundary conditions.

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arXiv2025

Tails from the Bulk: Gravitational Decay in AdS$_5$

We study gravitational perturbations of Schwarzschild-AdS black holes in $d = 5$ and identify a regime of late-time power-law decay for smooth initial data. Based on an analysis of the quasinormal mode spectrum, we predict and characterise this decay behaviour. We perform fully nonlinear numerical evolutions with long integration times that support the prediction and exhibit no signs of instability. Remarkably, the decay is modulated by a universal oscillatory pattern, consistent with subleading corrections from a large-angular-momentum (eikonal) analysis of the quasinormal mode spectrum.

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arXiv2025

EFT Corrections to Charged Black Hole Quasinormal Modes

We study the impact of higher-derivative corrections from Effective Field Theory on the quasinormal mode spectrum of Reissner-Nordström black holes. While previous work has explored corrections to Schwarzschild and Kerr black holes - typically using small-rotation approximations - a comprehensive analysis near extremality remains lacking. We focus on Reissner-Nordström black holes as a tractable model admitting an extremal limit, enabling investigation of the effect of these corrections on the so-called zero damped modes, which dominate in this regime. Specifically, we derive a corrected Moncrief equation governing quasinormal modes and present both analytic and numerical results for the corrected frequencies. This work also offers the first explicit test of the recently proposed "Quasinormal Mode Causality" bound arXiv:2401.05524, which constrains Effective Field Theory coefficients by requiring that quasinormal mode lifetimes do not increase measurably under ultraviolet-complete Effective Field Theory corrections. Using Standard Model contributions - particularly those arising from integrating out the electron - we verify that this bound holds. Our results provide new insights into the interplay between Effective Field Theory, extremal black hole dynamics, and causality in gravitational theories.

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arXiv2025

Charged Static AdS Black Hole Binaries

We construct the first binary black hole solutions of Einstein-Maxwell theory in asymptotically anti-de Sitter space. The attractive force between the two black holes is balanced by the addition of a background electric field, sourced at the conformal boundary. There is a continuous family of bulk solutions for a given boundary profile and temperature, suggesting there is continuous non-uniqueness. We investigate the charges of the solutions and verify numerically that they satisfy a first law of black hole mechanics relation.

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arXiv2024

Smooth extremal horizons are the exception, not the rule

We show that the general charged, rotating black hole in five-dimensional Einstein-Maxwell theory has a singular extremal limit. Only the known analytic solutions with exactly zero charge or zero angular momenta have smooth extremal horizons. We also consider general black holes in five-dimensional Einstein-Maxwell-Chern-Simons theory, and show that they also have singular extremal limits except for one special value of the coefficient of the Chern-Simons term (the one fixed by supergravity). Combining this with earlier results showing that extremal black holes have singular horizons in four-dimensional general relativity with small higher derivative corrections, and in anti-de Sitter space with perturbed boundary conditions, one sees that smooth extremal horizons are indeed the exception and not the rule.

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arXiv2024

Charged Rotating Hairy Black Holes in AdS$_5 \times S^5$: Unveiling their Secrets

Using a mix of analytical and numerical methods, we construct new rotating, charged "hairy" black hole solutions of $D=5$, ${\cal N}=8$ gauged supergravity that are dual, via the AdS/CFT correspondence, to thermal states in $D=4$, ${\cal N}=4$ SYM at finite chemical and angular potential, thereby complementing and extending the results of [arXiv:1005.1287, arXiv:1806.01849, arXiv:1809.04084]. These solutions uplift to asymptotically AdS$_5 \times S^5$ solutions of Type IIB supergravity with equal angular momenta along AdS$_5$ ($J=J_1=J_2$) and $S^5$ ($Q=Q_1=Q_2=Q_3$). As we lower the mass $E$ at fixed $Q$ and $J$, the known Cvetič-Lü-Pope (CLP) black holes are unstable to scalar condensation and the hairy black holes constructed here emerge as novel solutions associated to the instability. In the region of phase space where the CLP and hairy black holes coexist, the hairy black holes dominate the microcanonical ensemble and, therefore, describe a new thermodynamic phase of SYM. The hairy black holes extend beyond the CLP extremality surface all the way to the BPS surface, defined by $E = 3 Q + 2 J / L$. Through a combination of analytical and numerical techniques, we argue that the BPS limit of the hairy black holes is a singular, horizonless solution, and $not$ a new two-parameter family of BPS black holes that extend the known one-parameter Gutowski-Reall (GR) black hole solution, in contradiction with the conjectures of [arXiv:1005.1287, arXiv:1806.01849]. To further support our conclusions, we perform a near-horizon analysis of the BPS equations and argue that they do not admit any regular solutions with an horizon.

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arXiv2024

New phases of $\mathcal{N}=4$ SYM at finite chemical potential

We do a systematic search of supergravity solutions that, via the AdS$_5$/CFT$_4$ correspondence, are dual to thermal states in $\mathcal{N}=4$ SYM at finite chemical potential. These solutions dominate the microcanonical ensemble and are required to ultimately reproduce the microscopic entropy of AdS black holes. Using a mix of analytical and numerical methods, we construct and study static charged hairy solitonic and black hole solutions with global AdS$_5$ asymptotics. They are constructed in two distinct consistent truncations of five dimensional gauged supergravity (and can thus be uplifted to asymptotically AdS$_5\times$S$^5$ solutions of type IIB supergravity). In the "single charge" truncation which consists of one charged scalar field, hairy black holes exist above a critical charge and merge with the known Behrndt-Cvetič-Sabra (BCS) black holes along a curve determined by the onset of superradiance in the latter family. The lowest mass hairy black hole is a singular zero entropy soliton. In the "two charge" truncation which consists of a two equal charged scalar fields, hairy black holes exist for all charges and merge with the known BCS black holes along their superradiant onset curve. The lowest mass hairy black hole is a smooth supersymmetric zero entropy soliton. Together with the known phases of the truncation with three equal charges, our findings permit a good understanding of the full phase space of SYM thermal states with three arbitrary chemical potentials.

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arXiv2024

Extremal Kerr black holes as amplifiers of new physics

We show that extremal Kerr black holes are sensitive probes of new physics. Stringy or quantum corrections to general relativity are expected to generate higher-curvature terms in the gravitational action. We show that in the presence of these terms, asymptotically flat extremal rotating black holes have curvature singularities on their horizon. Furthermore, near-extremal black holes can have large yet finite tidal forces for infalling observers. In addition, we consider five-dimensional extremal charged black holes and show that higher-curvature terms can have a large effect on the horizon geometry.

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arXiv2024

Spinning Black Binaries in de Sitter space

We construct stationary, rotating black binaries in general relativity with a positive cosmological constant. We consider identical black holes with either aligned or anti-aligned spins. Both cases have less entropy than the corresponding single Kerr/Schwarzschild de Sitter black hole with the same total angular momentum and cosmological horizon entropy. Our solutions establish continuous non-uniqueness in general relativity without matter. They also provide initial data for the spinning binary merger problem (when orbital angular momentum is added).

gr-qc↗

arXiv2024

Sudden breakdown of effective field theory near cool Kerr-Newman black holes

It was recently shown that (near-)extremal Kerr black holes are sensitive probes of small higher-derivative corrections to general relativity. In particular, these corrections produce diverging tidal forces on the horizon in the extremal limit. We show that adding a black hole charge makes this effect qualitatively stronger. Higher-derivative corrections to the Kerr-Newman solution produce tidal forces that scale inversely in the black hole temperature. We find that, unlike the Kerr case, for realistic values of the black hole charge large tidal forces can arise before quantum corrections due to the Schwarzian mode become important, so that the near-horizon behavior of the black hole is dictated by higher-derivative terms in the effective theory.

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arXiv2024

Holographic Batteries

We study a three-dimensional holographic CFT under the influence of a background electric field on a spacetime containing two black hole horizons. The electric background is fixed such that there is potential difference between the two boundary black holes, inducing a conserved current. By constructing the holographic duals to this set-up, which are solutions to the Einstein-Maxwell equations with a negative cosmological constant in four dimensions, we calculate, to a fully non-linear level, the conductivity of the CFT in this background. Interestingly, we find that the conductivity depends non-trivially on the potential difference. The bulk solutions are flowing geometries containing black hole horizons which are non-Killing and have non-zero expansion. We find a novel property that the past boundary of the future horizon lies deep in the bulk and show this property remains present after small perturbations of the temperature difference of the boundary black holes.

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arXiv2024

Mixmaster chaos in an AdS black hole interior

We derive gravitational backgrounds that are asymptotically Anti-de Sitter, have a regular black hole horizon and which deep in the interior exhibit mixmaster chaotic dynamics. The solutions are obtained by coupling gravity with a negative cosmological constant to three massive vector fields, within an Ansatz that reduces to ordinary differential equations. At late interior times the equations are identical to those analysed in depth by Misner and by Belinskii-Khalatnikov-Lifshitz fifty years ago. We review and extend known classical and semiclassical results on the interior chaos, formulated as both a dynamical system of `Kasner eras' and as a hyperbolic billiards problem. The volume of the universe collapses doubly-exponentially over each Kasner era. A remarkable feature is the emergence of a conserved energy, and hence a `time-independent' Hamiltonian, at asymptotically late interior times. A quantisation of this Hamiltonian exhibits arithmetic chaos associated with the principal congruence subgroup $Γ(2)$ of the modular group. We compute a large number of eigenvalues numerically to obtain the spectral form factor. While the spectral statistics is anomalous for a chaotic system, the eigenfunctions themselves display random matrix behaviour.

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arXiv2024

New Well-Posed Boundary Conditions for Semi-Classical Euclidean Gravity

We consider four-dimensional Euclidean gravity in a finite cavity. Dirichlet conditions do not yield a well-posed elliptic system, and Anderson has suggested boundary conditions that do. Here we point out that there exists a one-parameter family of boundary conditions, parameterized by a constant $p$, where a suitably Weyl rescaled boundary metric is fixed, and all give a well-posed elliptic system. Anderson and Dirichlet boundary conditions can be seen as the limits $p \to 0$ and $\infty$ of these. Focussing on static Euclidean solutions, we derive a thermodynamic first law. Restricting to a spherical spatial boundary, the infillings are flat space or the Schwarzschild solution, and have similar thermodynamics to the Dirichlet case. We consider smooth Euclidean fluctuations about the flat space saddle; for $p > 1/6$ the spectrum of the Lichnerowicz operator is stable -- its eigenvalues have positive real part. Thus we may regard large $p$ as a regularization of the ill-posed Dirichlet boundary conditions. However for $p < 1/6$ there are unstable modes, even in the spherically symmetric and static sector. We then turn to Lorentzian signature. For $p < 1/6$ we may understand this spherical Euclidean instability as being paired with a Lorentzian instability associated with the dynamics of the boundary itself. However, a mystery emerges when we consider perturbations that break spherical symmetry. Here we find a plethora of dynamically unstable modes even for $p > 1/6$, contrasting starkly with the Euclidean stability we found. Thus we seemingly obtain a system with stable thermodynamics, but unstable dynamics, calling into question the standard assumption of smoothness that we have implemented when discussing the Euclidean theory.

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arXiv2024

Self Gravitating Spinning String Condensates

In the context of the black hole/string transition, it is useful to produce Euclidean string backgrounds representing hot and self-gravitating strings. We utilise analytical and numerical methods to find a smooth, stationary rotating solution in the heterotic string theory at high temperatures. The solution describes a spinning winding-momentum condensate living in three non-compact dimensions, and its backreaction on the thermal cycle. At low temperatures, we expect a transition between our solution to an analytical continuation of an axionic Kerr black hole.

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arXiv2023

Stability of saddles and choices of contour in the Euclidean path integral for linearized gravity: Dependence on the DeWitt Parameter

Due to the conformal factor problem, the definition of the Euclidean gravitational path integral requires a non-trivial choice of contour. The present work examines a generalization of a recently proposed rule-of-thumb \cite{Marolf:2022ntb} for selecting this contour at quadratic order about a saddle. The original proposal depended on the choice of an indefinite-signature metric on the space of perturbations, which was taken to be a DeWitt metric with parameter $α=-1$. This choice was made to match previous results, but was otherwise admittedly {\it ad hoc}. To begin to investigate the physics associated with the choice of such a metric, we now explore contours defined using analogous prescriptions for $α\neq -1$. We study such contours for Euclidean gravity linearized about AdS-Schwarzschild black holes in reflecting cavities with thermal (canonical ensemble) boundary conditions, and we compare path-integral stability of the associated saddles with thermodynamic stability of the classical spacetimes. While the contour generally depends on the choice of DeWitt parameter $α$, the precise agreement between these two notions of stability found at $α=-1$ continues to hold over the finite interval $(-2,-2/d)$, where $d$ is the dimension of the bulk spacetime. This agreement manifestly fails for $α> -2/d$ when the DeWitt metric becomes positive definite. However, we also find dramatic failures for $α< -2$ that correlate with breakdowns of the de Donder-like gauge condition defined by $α$, and at which the relevant fluctuation operator fails to be diagonalizable. This provides criteria that may be useful in predicting metrics on the space of perturbations that give physically-useful contours in more general settings. Along the way, we also identify an interesting error in \cite{Marolf:2022ntb}, though we show this error to be harmless.

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arXiv2023

Black hole superradiant instability for massive spin-2 fields

Due to coherent superradiant amplification, massive bosonic fields can trigger an instability in spinning black holes, tapping their energy and angular momentum and forming macroscopic Bose-Einstein condensates around them. This phenomenon produces gaps in the mass-spin distribution of astrophysical black holes, a continuous gravitational-wave signal emitted by the condensate, and several environmental effects relevant for gravitational-wave astronomy and radio images of black holes. While the spectrum of superradiantly unstable mode is known in great detail for massive scalar (spin-0) and vector (spin-1) perturbations, so far only approximated results were derived for the case of massive tensor (spin-2) fields, due to the nonseparability of the field equations. Here, solving a system of ten elliptic partial differential equations, we close this program and compute the spectrum of the most unstable modes of a massive spin-2 field for generic black-hole spin and boson mass, beyond the hydrogenic approximation and including the unique dipole mode that dominates the instability in the spin-2 case. We find that the instability timescale for this mode is orders of magnitude shorter than for any other superradiant mode, yielding much stronger constraints on massive spin-2 fields. These results pave the way for phenomenological studies aimed at constraining beyond Standard Model scenarios, ultralight dark matter candidates, and extensions to General Relativity using gravitational-wave and electromagnetic observations, and have implications for the phase diagram of vacuum solutions of higher-dimensional gravity.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2023

Gregory-Laflamme encounters Superradiance

We investigate the effect of superradiant scattering of gravitational perturbations on the stability of rotating black strings, focusing on the six dimensional equal-spinning Myers-Perry black string. We find that rapidly rotating black strings are unstable to gravitational superradiant modes within a bounded range of string lengths. The instability occurs because momentum along the string direction creates a potential barrier that allows for the confinement of superradiant modes. Yet, five dimensional Myers-Perry black holes do not have stable particle orbits so, unlike other known superradiant systems, these black strings remain stable to perturbations with sufficiently high azimuthal mode number -- this is a `finite-$m$' superradiant instability. For some parameters, this instability competes with the Gregory-Laflamme instability, but otherwise exists independently. The onset of this instability is degenerate and branches to multiple steady-state solutions. This paper is the first of a trilogy: in the next two, we construct two distinct families of rotating strings emerging from the superradiant onset (the `black resonator strings' and `helical black strings'). We argue that similar physics is present in 5-dimensional Kerr black strings, but not in $D>6$ equal-spinning Myers-Perry black strings.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2023

Gregory-Laflamme and Superradiance encounter Black Resonator Strings

We construct novel black strings that are neither time-translation invariant, nor axisymmetric, nor translationally invariant in the string direction, but nevertheless have a helical Killing vector field. These solutions branch from the superradiant instability of $D=6$ Myers-Perry black strings with equal angular momenta. We coin these solutions as {\it black resonator strings} and we find that they have more entropy than Myers-Perry black strings for the energies and angular momenta where both solutions coexist. We also construct Kaluza-Klein geons, which share the symmetries of black resonator strings, but are horizonless. Unlike in other superradiant systems, Kaluza-Klein geons are not the horizonless limit of black resonator strings and are instead entirely separate solutions.

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