arXiv subjects

Sayantani Bhattacharyya

Publications and source records attributed to Sayantani Bhattacharyya.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

A comparison of two constructions for dynamical corrections to Wald entropy

In this work, we analyze the differences and similarities between two recent constructions, which are distinct in their methodologies for extending the Wald entropy of stationary black holes to non-stationary situations in general higher-derivative gravity. One of them, denoted by $S_\text{Wall}$, is constructed by exploiting the boost symmetry of the near-horizon geometry, whereas the other, denoted by $S_\text{dyn}$, is obtained from a covariant phase-space analysis based on the Wald-Iyer Noether charge formalism. While $S_\text{dyn}$ is, by construction, defined only for linearized fluctuations around a stationary black hole solution, $S_\text{Wall}$ does not require such a linearization for its construction. Although the linearization is necessary to interpret $S_\text{Wall}$ as a well-defined notion of entropy, the construction itself naturally contains terms that are higher order in the dynamical fluctuations. By comparing the technical structures underlying the two constructions, we clarify the fundamental differences between the methods on which they are based. We demonstrate that while the construction of $S_\text{dyn}$ given the $S_\text{Wall}$ is straightforward, the converse is more subtle. We develop an algorithm to obtain a local expression for $S_\text{Wall}$ from a known expression for $S_\text{dyn}$ in a generic diffeomorphism-invariant theory of gravity, provided certain technical conditions are satisfied. We justify our analytical findings with explicit demonstrations in a particular case: the Riemann-squared example of the higher-derivative theory of gravity.

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arXiv2026

Relativistic Dispersion Spectra across Lorentz boosted frames: Spurious modes and the enigma of causality

The analysis of excitation spectra in gradient-expanded relativistic fluid theories frequently leads to pathologies under Lorentz boosts. However, extracting the dispersion modes in a Lorentz boosted inertial frame can be nontrivial. Motivated by this problem, we develop a general framework for deriving the linearized dispersion spectra in Lorentz boosted frames using only information from the local rest-frame dispersion structure, particularly its mode-expansion coefficients. We observe that, under a Lorentz transformation from the local rest frame, additional boosted solutions may appear that conflict with the causality of the theory; we refer to these as "spurious modes." The key developments presented here are: (i) a convenient method for obtaining dispersion spectra across inertial frames, bypassing the traditional procedure of solving the boosted polynomial, and (ii) the establishment of a direct connection between mode conservation and the causality of a theory, supported by a detailed proof.

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arXiv2025

A classical Bousso bound for higher derivative corrections to general relativity

Focussing on theories for which the higher derivative terms are considered as small corrections in the Lagrangian to Einstein's two-derivative theory of general relativity (GR), we prove the classical version of the covariant entropy bound (also known as the Bousso bound) in arbitrary diffeomorphism invariant gravitational theories. Even if the higher derivative corrections are treated perturbatively, we provide instances of specific configurations for which they can potentially violate the Bousso bound. To tackle this obstruction, we propose a modification in the Bousso bound that incorporates the offending contributions from the higher derivative corrections. We argue that the modified Bousso bound that we propose holds to all orders in the higher curvature corrections. Our proposed modifications are equivalent to replacing the Bekenstein-Hawking area term by Wald's definition (with dynamical corrections as suggested by Wall) for the black hole entropy. Hence, the modifications are physically well motivated by results from the laws of black hole mechanics in higher derivative theories.

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arXiv2025

Field redefinition and its impact in relativistic hydrodynamics

In this paper, we explore the impact of field redefinition on the spectrum of linearized perturbations in relativistic hydrodynamics. We observe that the spectrum of hydrodynamics modes is never affected by the local field redefinition, however, the spectrum of the non-hydrodynamic modes is affected. Through an appropriate all-order redefinition, non-hydrodynamic modes can be eliminated, leading to a new frame where the spectrum contains only hydrodynamic modes. We also observe that the resulting stress-energy tensor may have an infinite series in momentum space, with a convergence radius linked to the eliminated non-hydrodynamic mode. In certain special cases, higher-order terms in the stress-energy tensor under field redefinition may cancel, indicating that non-hydrodynamic modes are mere artefacts of the fluid variable choice and hold no physical significance, even if they appear to violate physical constraints. Using a special toy example, we find a criterion to distinguish between physical and unphysical non-hydrodynamic modes.

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arXiv2024

Relativistic fluid dynamics in a 'hydro' frame

In this letter, we investigate how field redefinition influences the spectrum of linearized perturbations in relativistic fluid dynamics. We show that the hydrodynamic modes do not get affected under local field redefinition, whereas the non-hydrodynamic modes do. These non-hydrodynamic modes can be removed through a suitable all-order field redefinition. This process leads to a new frame containing only hydrodynamic modes, which we refer to as the hydro frame. Additionally, we demonstrate that the resulting stress-energy tensor may constitute an infinite series in momentum space, with the radius of convergence associated with the removed non-hydrodynamic mode, highlighting its role in the hydrodynamic expansion's validity.

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arXiv2024

Frame transformation and stable-causal hydrodynamic theory

In this work, a connection has been indicated between the different existing formulations of relativistic hydrodynamic theories, which, in order to be causal and stable, (i) either requires `non-fluid' variables apart from velocity and temperature to be promoted to new degrees of freedom, or, (ii) needs to be in a generalized hydrodynamic frame other than those given by Landau or Eckart. The BDNK stress tensor (originally in a general frame) has been rewritten in the Landau frame using linearized all-order gradient-corrected redefinitions of the temperature and velocity fields. The redefinitions indicate that, while the BDNK formalism has a finite number of derivatives in the general frame, when written in the Landau frame, it either has an infinite number of derivatives, or one has to introduce MIS-like `non-fluid' variables by summing the infinite number of derivatives in the field redefinitions. There can be non-unique ways of performing these infinite-order summations. Finally, the dispersion relations and the corresponding spectra of these different systems of MIS type equations have been analyzed to check that the systems of equations presented here are indeed equivalent to the BDNK formalism, at least in the hydrodynamic regime.

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arXiv2024

Causality and stability in relativistic hydrodynamic theory -- a choice to be endured

In this work, it has been indicated that the key features requisite for preserving causality and stability of the popularly existing relativistic hydrodynamic theories, can be translated into each other. It has been shown here, that a generic `fluid frame transformation' including all orders of gradient corrections can recast a stable-causal hydrodynamic theory that (i) only includes fundamental fluid variables (velocity and temperature) but requires to be in a general hydrodynamic frame other than the Landau or Eckart, to a theory that is (ii) pathology free in Landau frame but needs newer degrees of freedom. Since frame choice provides the first principle field definitions and degrees of freedom indicate the number of conserved quantities, the causality and stability of a theory seem to require a consensus between the two unless the derivative correction goes to infinity. The key finding of this work is to indicate a connection between these different formalisms, that lead to a causal and stable hydrodynamic theory.

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arXiv2024

Reparametrization Symmetry of Local Entropy Production on a Dynamical Horizon

Recently, it has been shown that for a dynamical black hole in any higher derivative theory of gravity, one could construct a spatial entropy current, characterizing the in/outflow of entropy at every point on the horizon, as long as the dynamics of the amplitude is small enough. However, the construction is very much dependent on how we choose the spatial slicing of the horizon along its null generators. In this note, we have shown that though both the entropy density and the spatial entropy current change non-trivially under a reparametrization of the null generator, the net entropy production, which is given by the `time' derivative of entropy density plus the divergence of the spatial current is invariant. We have explicitly verified this claim for the particular case of dynamical black holes Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet theory.

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arXiv2022

The zeroth law of black hole thermodynamics in arbitrary higher derivative theories of gravity

We consider diffeomorphism invariant theories of gravity with arbitrary higher derivative terms in the Lagrangian as corrections to the leading two derivative theory of Einstein's general relativity. We construct a proof of the zeroth law of black hole thermodynamics in such theories. We assume that a stationary black hole solution in an arbitrary higher derivative theory can be obtained by starting with the corresponding stationary solution in general relativity and correcting it order by order in a perturbative expansion in the coupling constants of the higher derivative Lagrangian. We prove that surface gravity remains constant on its horizon when computed for such stationary black holes, which is the zeroth law. We argue that the constancy of surface gravity on the horizon is related to specific components of the equations of motion in such theories. We further use a specific boost symmetry of the near horizon space-time of the stationary black hole to constrain the off-shell structure of the equations of motion. Our proof for the zeroth law is valid up to arbitrary order in the expansion in the higher derivative couplings.

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arXiv2022

Entropy Current and Fluid-Gravity Duality in Gauss-Bonnet theory

Working within the approximation of small amplitude expansion, recently an entropy current has been constructed on the horizons of dynamical black hole solution in any higher derivative theory of gravity. In this note, we have dualized this horizon entropy current to a boundary entropy current in an asymptotically AdS black hole metric with a dual description in terms of dynamical fluids living on the AdS boundary. This boundary entropy current is constructed using a set of mapping functions relating each point on the horizon to a point on the boundary. We have applied our construction to black holes in Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet theory. We have seen that up to the first order in derivative expansion, Gauss-Bonnet terms do not add any extra corrections to fluid entropy as expected. However, at the second order in derivative expansion, the boundary current will non-trivially depend on how we choose our horizon to boundary map, which need not be expressible entirely in terms of fluid variables. So generically, the boundary entropy current generated by dualizing the horizon current will not admit a fluid dynamical description.

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arXiv2021

An entropy current and the second law in higher derivative theories of gravity

We construct a proof of the second law of thermodynamics in an arbitrary diffeomorphism invariant theory of gravity working within the approximation of linearized dynamical fluctuations around stationary black holes. We achieve this by establishing the existence of an entropy current defined on the horizon of the dynamically perturbed black hole in such theories. By construction, this entropy current has non-negative divergence, suggestive of a mechanism for the dynamical black hole to approach a final equilibrium configuration via entropy production as well as the spatial flow of it on the null horizon. This enables us to argue for the second law in its strongest possible form, which has a manifest locality at each space-time point. We explicitly check that the form of the entropy current that we construct in this paper exactly matches with previously reported expressions computed considering specific four derivative theories of higher curvature gravity. Using the same set up we also provide an alternative proof of the physical process version of the first law applicable to arbitrary higher derivative theories of gravity.

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arXiv2020

An entropy current for dynamical black holes in four-derivative theories of gravity

We propose an entropy current for dynamical black holes in a theory with arbitrary four derivative corrections to Einstein's gravity, linearized around a stationary black hole. The Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet theory is a special case of the class of theories that we consider. Within our approximation, our construction allows us to write down a completely local version of the second law of black hole thermodynamics, in the presence of the higher derivative corrections considered here. This ultra-local, stronger form of the second law is a generalization of a weaker form, applicable to the total entropy, integrated over a compact `time-slice' of the horizon, a proof of which has been recently presented in arXiv:1504.08040. We also provide a general algorithm to construct the entropy current for the four derivative theories, which may be straightforwardly generalized to arbitrary higher derivative corrections to Einstein's gravity. This algorithm highlights the possible ambiguities in defining the entropy current.

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arXiv2019

A leading-order comparison between fluid-gravity and membrane-gravity dualities

In this note, we have compared two different perturbation techniques that are used to generate dynamical black-brane solutions to Einstein equation in presence of negative cosmological constant. One is the `derivative expansion', where the gravity solutions are in one-to-one correspondence with the solutions of relativistic Navier-Stokes equation. The second is the expansion in terms of inverse power of space-time dimensions and here the gravity solutions are dual to a co-dimension one dynamical membrane, embedded in AdS space and coupled to a velocity field. We have shown that in large number of space-time dimensions, there exists an overlap regime between these two perturbation techniques and we matched the two gravity solutions along with their dual systems upto the first non-trivial order in the expansion parameter on both sides. In the process, we established a one-to-one map between dynamical black-brane geometry and the AdS space, which exists even when the number of dimensions is finite.

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arXiv2019

Fluid-gravity and membrane-gravity dualities - Comparison at subleading orders

In this note we have compared two different perturbation techniques that could be used to generate solutions of Einstein's equations in presence of negative cosmological constant. One of these two methods is derivative expansion and the other is an expansion in inverse powers of dimension. Both the techniques generate space-time with a singularity shielded by a dynamical event horizon. We have shown that in the appropriate regime of parameter space and with appropriate choice of coordinates, the metrics and corresponding horizon dynamics, generated by these two different techniques, are exactly equal to the order the solutions are known both sides. This work is essentially extension of \cite{prevwork} where the authors have shown the equivalence of the two techniques up to the first non-trivial order.

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arXiv2018

Black holes in presence of cosmological constant: Second order in 1/D

We have extended the results of arXiv:1704.06076 upto second subleading order in an expansion around large dimension D. Unlike the previous case, there are non-trivial metric corrections at this order. Due to our `background-covariant' formalism, the dependence on Ricci and the Riemann curvature tensor of the background is manifest here. The gravity system is dual to a dynamical membrane coupled with a velocity field. The dual membrane is embedded in some smooth background geometry that also satisfies the Einstein equation in presence of cosmological constant. We explicitly computed the corrections to the equation governing the membrane-dynamics. Our results match with earlier derivations in appropriate limits. We calculated the spectrum of QNM from our membrane equations and matched them against similar results derived from gravity.

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arXiv2018

The large D black hole dynamics in AdS/dS backgrounds

We have constructed a class of perturbative dynamical black hole solutions in presence of cosmological constant. We have done our calculation in large number of dimensions. The inverse power of dimension has been used as the perturbation parameter and our calculation is valid upto the first subleading order. The solutions are in one to one correspondence with a dynamical membrane and a velocity field embedded in the asymptotic geometry. Our method is manifestly covariant with respect to the asymptotic geometry. One single calculation and the same universal result works for both dS and AdS geometry or in case of AdS for both global AdS and Poincare patch. We have checked our final answer with various known exact solutions and the known spectrum of Quasi Normal modes in AdS/dS.

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arXiv2017

Currents and Radiation from the large $D$ Black Hole Membrane

It has recently been demonstrated that black hole dynamics in a large number of dimensions $D$ reduces to the dynamics of a codimension one membrane propagating in flat space. In this paper we define a stress tensor and charge current on this membrane and explicitly determine these currents at low orders in the expansion in $\frac{1}{D}$. We demonstrate that dynamical membrane equations of motion derived in earlier work are simply conservation equations for our stress tensor and charge current. Through the paper we focus on solutions of the membrane equations which vary on a time scale of order unity. Even though the charge current and stress tensor are not parametrically small in such solutions, we show that the radiation sourced by the corresponding membrane currents is generically of order $\frac{1}{D^D}$. In this regime it follows that the `near horizon' membrane degrees of freedom are decoupled from asymptotic flat space at every perturbative order in the $\frac{1}{D}$ expansion. We also define an entropy current on the membrane and use the Hawking area theorem to demonstrate that the divergence of the entropy current is point wise non negative. We view this result as a local form of the second law of thermodynamics for membrane motion.

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arXiv2017

Towards a second law for Lovelock theories

In classical general relativity described by Einstein-Hilbert gravity, black holes behave as thermodynamic objects. In particular, the laws of black hole mechanics can be interpreted as laws of thermodynamics. The first law of black hole mechanics extends to higher derivative theories via the Noether charge construction of Wald. One also expects the statement of the second law, which in Einstein-Hilbert theory owes to Hawking's area theorem, to extend to higher derivative theories. To argue for this however one needs a notion of entropy for dynamical black holes, which the Noether charge construction does not provide. We propose such an entropy function for the family of Lovelock theories, treating the higher derivative terms as perturbations to the Einstein-Hilbert theory. Working around a dynamical black hole solution, and making no assumptions about the amplitude of departure from equilibrium, we construct a candidate entropy functional valid to all orders in the low energy effective field theory. This entropy functional satisfies a second law, modulo a certain subtle boundary term, which deserves further investigation in non-spherically symmetric situations.

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