arXiv subjects

Marc Casals

Publications and source records attributed to Marc Casals.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2022

Quantum fluxes at the inner horizon of a spinning black hole

Rotating or charged classical black holes in isolation possess a special surface in their interior, the Cauchy horizon, beyond which the evolution of spacetime (based on the equations of General Relativity) ceases to be deterministic. In this work, we study the effect of a quantum massless scalar field on the Cauchy horizon inside a rotating (Kerr) black hole that is evaporating via the emission of Hawking radiation (corresponding to the field being in the Unruh state). We calculate the flux components (in Eddington coordinates) of the renormalized stress-energy tensor of the field on the Cauchy horizon, as functions of the black hole spin and of the polar angle. We find that these flux components are generically non-vanishing. Furthermore, we find that the flux components change sign as these parameters vary. The signs of the fluxes are important, as they provide an indication of whether the Cauchy horizon expands or crushes (when backreaction is taken into account). Regardless of these signs, our results imply that the flux components generically diverge on the Cauchy horizon when expressed in coordinates which are regular there. This is the first time that irregularity of the Cauchy horizon under a semiclassical effect is conclusively shown for (four-dimensional) spinning black holes.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2022

Glimpses of Violation of Strong Cosmic Censorship in Rotating Black Holes

Rotating and/or charged black hole spacetimes possess a Cauchy horizon, beyond which Einstein's equations of General Relativity cease to be deterministic. This led to the formulation of the Strong Cosmic Censorship conjecture that such horizons become irregular under field perturbations. We consider linear field perturbations of rotating and electrically-charged (Kerr-Newman-de Sitter) black holes in a universe with a positive cosmological constant. By calculating the quasinormal modes for scalar and fermion fields, we provide evidence for the existence of weak solutions to Einstein's equations across the Cauchy horizon in the nearly-extremal regime. We thus provide, for the first time, evidence for violation of Strong Cosmic Censorship in (4-dimensional) rotating black hole spacetimes.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2022

Two-point function of a quantum scalar field in the interior region of a Kerr black hole

Quantum field effects on a classical background spacetime may be obtained from the semiclassical equations of General Relativity with the expectation value of the stress-energy tensor of the quantum field as a source. This expectation value can be calculated from Hadamard's elementary two-point function, which in practice is given in terms of sums of products of field modes evaluated at two spacetime points. We derive expressions for the two-point function for a massless scalar field in the Unruh state on a Kerr black hole spacetime. Our main result in this paper is a novel expression valid when the two points lie inside the black hole; we also (re-)derive, using a new method, the known expression valid when the two points lie outside the black hole. We achieve these expressions by finding relationships between Unruh modes, defined in terms of the retarded Kruskal coordinate, and Eddington modes, defined in terms of the Eddington coordinates. While our starting expression for the two-point function is written in terms of the Unruh modes, we give our final expression in terms of the Eddington modes, which have the computational advantage that they decompose into factors that obey ordinary differential equations. In an appendix we also derive expressions for the bare mode contributions to the flux components of the stress-energy tensor for a minimally-coupled massless scalar field inside the black hole. Our results thus lay the groundwork for future calculations of quantum effects inside a Kerr black hole.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2021

Tidal Love Numbers of Kerr Black Holes

The open question of whether a Kerr black hole can become tidally deformed or not has profound implications for fundamental physics and gravitational-wave astronomy. We consider a Kerr black hole embedded in a weak and slowly varying, but otherwise arbitrary, multipolar tidal environment. By solving the static Teukolsky equation for the gauge-invariant Weyl scalar $ψ_0$, and by reconstructing the corresponding metric perturbation in an ingoing radiation gauge, for a general harmonic index $\ell$, we compute the linear response of a Kerr black hole to the tidal field. This linear response vanishes identically for a Schwarzschild black hole and for an axisymmetric perturbation of a spinning black hole. For a nonaxisymmetric perturbation of a spinning black hole, however, the linear response does not vanish, and it contributes to the Geroch-Hansen multipole moments of the perturbed Kerr geometry. As an application, we compute explicitly the rotational black hole tidal Love numbers that couple the induced quadrupole moments to the quadrupolar tidal fields, to linear order in the black hole spin, and we introduce the corresponding notion of tidal Love tensor. Finally, we show that those induced quadrupole moments are closely related to the well-known physical phenomenon of tidal torquing of a spinning body interacting with a tidal gravitational environment.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2021

Spinning Black Holes Fall in Love

The open question of whether a black hole can become tidally deformed by an external gravitational field has profound implications for fundamental physics, astrophysics and gravitational-wave astronomy. Love tensors characterize the tidal deformability of compact objects such as astrophysical (Kerr) black holes under an external static tidal field. We prove that all Love tensors vanish identically for a Kerr black hole in the nonspinning limit or for an axisymmetric tidal perturbation. In contrast to this result, we show that Love tensors are generically nonzero for a spinning black hole. Specifically, to linear order in the Kerr black hole spin and the weak perturbing tidal field, we compute in closed form the Love tensors that couple the mass-type and current-type quadrupole moments to the electric-type and magnetic-type quadrupolar tidal fields. For a dimensionless spin ~ 0.1, the nonvanishing quadrupolar Love tensors are ~ 0.002, thus showing that black holes are particularly "rigid" compact objects.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2021

The Teukolsky--Starobinsky constants: facts and fictions

The Teukolsky Master Equation describes the dynamics of massless fields with spin on a Kerr black hole. Under separation of variables, spin-reversal for this equation is accomplished through the so-called Teukolsky--Starobinsky identities. These identities are associated to the so-called Teukolsky--Starobinsky constants, which are spin-dependent. We collect some properties of the Teukolsky--Starobinsky constants and dispel some myths present in the literature. We show that, contrary to popular belief, these constants can be negative for spin larger than 2. Such fields thus exhibit a novel form of energy amplification which occurs for non-superradiant frequencies.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2020

Communication through quantum fields near a black hole

We study the quantum channel between two localized first-quantized systems that communicate in 3+1 dimensional Schwarzschild spacetime via a quantum field. We analyze the information carrying capacity of direct and black hole-orbiting null geodesics as well as of the timelike contributions that arise because the strong Huygens principle does not hold on the Schwarzschild background. We find, in particular, that the non-direct-null and timelike contributions, which do not possess an analog on Minkowski spacetime, can dominate over the direct null contributions. We cover the cases of both geodesic and accelerated emitters. Technically, we apply tools previously designed for the study of wave propagation in curved spacetimes to a relativistic quantum information communication setup, first for generic spacetimes, and then for the case of Schwarzschild spacetime in particular.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2020

Perturbations of Extremal Kerr Spacetime: Analytic Framework and Late-time Tails

We develop a complete and systematic analytical approach to field perturbations of extremal Kerr spacetime based on the formalism of Mano, Suzuki and Takasugi (MST) for the Teukolsky equation. Analytical expressions for the radial solutions and frequency-domain Green function in terms of infinite series of special functions are presented. As an application, we compute, for the first time, the leading late-time behavior due to the branch point at zero frequency of scalar, gravitational, and electromagnetic field perturbations on and off the event horizon. We also use the MST method to compute the leading behavior of the Green function modes near the branch point at the superradiant bound frequency and show that this behavior agrees with existing results in the literature using a different method.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2019

Regularized calculation of the retarded Green function in Schwarzschild spacetime

The retarded Green function for linear field perturbations of black hole spacetimes is notoriously difficult to calculate. One of the difficulties is due to a Dirac-$δ$ divergence that the Green function possesses when the two spacetime points are connected by a "direct" null geodesic. We present a procedure which notably aids its calculation in the case of Schwarzschild spacetime by separating this direct $δ$-divergence from the remainder of the retarded Green function. More precisely, the method consists of calculating the multipolar $\ell$-modes of the direct $δ$-divergence and subtracting them from the corresponding modes of the retarded Green function. We illustrate the usefulness of the method with some specific calculations in the case of the scalar Green function and self-field for a point scalar charge in Schwarzschild spacetime.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2019

Kerr-de Sitter Quasinormal Modes via Accessory Parameter Expansion

Quasinormal modes are characteristic oscillatory modes that control the relaxation of a perturbed physical system back to its equilibrium state. In this work, we calculate QNM frequencies and angular eigenvalues of Kerr--de Sitter black holes using a novel method based on conformal field theory. The spin-field perturbation equations of this background spacetime essentially reduce to two Heun's equations, one for the radial part and one for the angular part. We use the accessory parameter expansion of Heun's equation, obtained via the isomonodromic $τ$-function, in order to find analytic expansions for the QNM frequencies and angular eigenvalues. The expansion for the frequencies is given as a double series in the rotation parameter $a$ and the extremality parameter $ε=(r_{C}-r_{+})/L$, where $L$ is the de Sitter radius and $r_{C}$ and $r_{+}$ are the radii of, respectively, the cosmological and event horizons. Specifically, we give the frequency expansion up to order $ε^2$ for general $a$, and up to order $ε^{3}$ with the coefficients expanded up to $(a/L)^{3}$. Similarly, the expansion for the angular eigenvalues is given as a series up to $(aω)^{3}$ with coefficients expanded for small $a/L$. We verify the new expansion for the frequencies via a numerical analysis and that the expansion for the angular eigenvalues agrees with results in the literature.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2019

Spectroscopy of Extremal (and Near-Extremal) Kerr Black Holes

We investigate linear, spin-field perturbations of Kerr black holes in the extremal limit throughout the complex-frequency domain. We calculate quasi-normal modes of extremal Kerr, as well as of near-extremal Kerr, via a novel approach: using the method of Mano, Suzuki and Takasugi (MST). We also show how, in the extremal limit, a branch cut is formed at the superradiant-bound frequency, $ω_{SR}$, via a simultaneous accumulation of quasi-normal modes and totally-reflected modes. For real frequencies, we calculate the superradiant amplification factor, which yields the amount of rotational energy that can be extracted from a black hole. In the extremal limit, this factor is the largest and it displays a discontinuity at $ω_{SR}$ for some modes. Finally, we find no exponentially-growing modes nor branch points on the upper-frequency plane in extremal Kerr after a numerical investigation, thus providing evidence of the mode-stability of this space-time away from the horizon.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2019

High-order asymptotics for the Spin-Weighted Spheroidal Equation at large real frequency

The spin-weighted spheroidal eigenvalues and eigenfunctions arise in the separation by variables of spin-field perturbations of Kerr black holes. We derive a large, real-frequency asymptotic expansion of the spin-weighted spheroidal eigenvalues and eigenfunctions to high order. This expansion corrects and extends existing results in the literature and we validate it via a numerical calculation.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2019

Quantum-corrected black holes and naked singularities in (2+1)-dimensions

We analytically investigate the pertubative effects of a quantum conformally-coupled scalar field on rotating (2+1)-dimensional black holes and naked singularities. In both cases we obtain the quantum-backreacted metric analytically. In the black hole case, we explore the quantum corrections on different regions of relevance for a rotating black hole geometry. We find that the quantum effects lead to a growth of both the event horizon and the ergosphere, as well as to a reduction of the angular velocity compared to their corresponding unperturbed values. Quantum corrections also give rise to the formation of a curvature singularity at the Cauchy horizon and show no evidence of the appearance of a superradiant instability. In the naked singularity case, quantum effects lead to the formation of a horizon that hides the conical defect, thus turning it into a black hole. The fact that these effects occur not only for static but also for spinning geometries makes a strong case for the rôle of quantum mechanics as a cosmic censor in Nature.

hep-th↗

arXiv2017

Quantum correlator outside a Schwarzschild black hole

We calculate the quantum correlator in Schwarzschild black hole space-time. We perform the calculation for a scalar field in three different quantum states: Boulware, Unruh and Hartle-Hawking, and for points along a timelike circular geodesic. The results show that the correlator presents a global fourfold singularity structure, which is state-independent. Our results also show the different correlations in the three different quantum states arising in-between the singularities.

hep-th↗

arXiv2017

General Relativistic Dynamics of an Extreme Mass-Ratio Binary interacting with an External Body

We study the dynamics of a hierarchical three-body system in the general-relativistic regime: an extreme mass-ratio inner binary under the tidal influence of an external body. The inner binary consists of a central Schwarzschild black hole and a compact test body moving around it (outer binary). We discover three types of tidal effects on the orbit of the test body. First, the angular moment of the inner binary precesses around the angular momentum of the outer binary. Second, the tidal field drives a "transient resonance" when the radial and azimuthal frequencies are commensurate with each other. In contrast with resonances driven by the gravitational self-force, this tidal-driven resonance may boost the orbital angular momentum. Finally, as an orbit-dynamical effect during the non-resonant phase, we calculate the correction to the Innermost Stable Circular (mean) Orbit (ISCO) due to the tidal interaction. Hierarchical three-body systems are potential sources for future space-based gravitational wave missions and the tidal effects that we find could contribute significantly to their waveform.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2017

Spin-1 Quasi-normal Frequencies in Schwarzschild space-time for Large Overtone Number

We analytically investigate the spin-1 quasinormal mode frequencies of Schwarzschild black hole space-time. We formally determine these frequencies to arbitrary order as an expansion for large imaginary part (i.e., large-n, where n is the overtone number). As an example of the practicality of this formal procedure, we explicitly calculate the asymptotic behaviour of the frequencies up to order $n^{-5/2}$.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2017

Quantum Backreaction on Three-Dimensional Black Holes and Naked Singularities

We analytically investigate backreaction by a quantum scalar field on two rotating Bañados-Teitelboim-Zanelli (BTZ) geometries: that of a black hole and that of a naked singularity. In the former case, we explore the quantum effects on various regions of relevance for a rotating black hole space-time. We find that the quantum effects lead to a growth of both the event horizon and the radius of the ergosphere, and to a reduction of the angular velocity, compared to the unperturbed values. Furthermore, they give rise to the formation of a curvature singularity at the Cauchy horizon and show no evidence of the appearance of a superradiant instability. In the case of a naked singularity, we find that quantum effects lead to the formation of a horizon that shields it, thus supporting evidence for the rôle of quantum mechanics as a cosmic censor in nature.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2016

High-order tail in Kerr spacetime

We investigate the late-time tail of the retarded Green function for the dynamics of a linear field perturbation of Kerr spacetime. We develop an analytical formalism for obtaining the late-time tail up to arbitrary order for general integer spin of the field. We then apply this formalism to obtain the details of the first five orders in the late-time tail of the Green function for the case of a scalar field: to leading order we recover the known power law tail $t^{-2\ell-3}$, and at third order we obtain a logarithmic correction, $t^{-2\ell-5}\ln t$, where $\ell$ is the field multipole.

gr-qc↗