arXiv subjects

Steffen Aksteiner

Publications and source records attributed to Steffen Aksteiner.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2023

Gravitational instantons with $S^1$ symmetry

Uniqueness results for asymptotically locally flat and asymptotically flat $S^1$-symmetric gravitational instantons are proved using a divergence identity of the type used in uniqueness proofs for static black holes, combined with results derived from the $G$-signature theorem. Our results include a proof of the $S^1$-symmetric version of the Euclidean Black Hole Uniqueness conjecture, a uniqueness result for the Taub-bolt family of instantons, as well as a proof that an ALF $S^1$-symmetric instanton with the topology of the Chen-Teo family of instantons is Hermitian.

math.DG↗

arXiv2022

A space-time calculus based on symmetric 2-spinors

In this paper we present a space-time calculus for symmetric spinors, including a product with a number of index contractions followed by symmetrization. As all operations stay within the class of symmetric spinors, no involved index manipulations are needed. In fact spinor indices are not needed in the formalism. It is also general because any covariant tensor expression in a 4-dimensional Lorentzian spacetime can be translated to this formalism. The computer algebra implementation SymSpin as part of xAct for Mathematica is also presented.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2022

Kaehler geometry of black holes and gravitational instantons

We obtain a closed formula for the Kaehler potential of a broad class of four-dimensional Lorentzian or Euclidean conformal "Kaehler" geometries, including the Plebanski-Demianski class and various gravitational instantons such as Fubini-Study and Chen-Teo. We show that the Kaehler potentials of Schwarzschild and Kerr are related by a Newman-Janis shift. Our method also shows that a class of supergravity black holes, including the Kerr-Sen spacetime, is Hermitian (but not conformal Kaehler). We finally show that the integrability conditions of complex structures lead naturally to the (non-linear) Weyl double copy, and we give new vacuum and non-vacuum examples of this relation.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2022

Gravitational Instantons and special geometry

The Chen-Teo gravitational instanton is an asymptotically flat, toric, Ricci flat family of metrics on $\mathbb{C}\mathbb{P}^2\setminus S^1$, that provides a counterexample to the classical Euclidean Black Hole Uniqueness conjecture. In this paper we show that the Chen-Teo instanton is Hermitian and non-Kähler. It follows that all known examples of gravitational instantons are Hermitian.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2021

Compatibility complex for black hole spacetimes

The set of local gauge invariant quantities for linearized gravity on the Kerr spacetime presented by two of the authors (S.A, T.B.) in (arXiv:1803.05341) is shown to be complete. In particular, any gauge invariant quantity for linearized gravity on Kerr that is local and of finite order in derivatives can be expressed in terms of these gauge invariants and derivatives thereof. The proof is carried out by constructing a complete compatibility complex for the Killing operator, and demonstrating the equivalence of the gauge invariants from (arXiv:1803.05341) with the first compatibility operator from that complex.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2021

On the geometry of Petrov type II spacetimes

In general, geometries of Petrov type II do not admit symmetries in terms of Killing vectors or spinors. We introduce a weaker form of Killing equations which do admit solutions. In particular, there is an analog of the Penrose-Walker Killing spinor. Some of its properties, including associated conservation laws, are discussed. Perturbations of Petrov type II Einstein geometries in terms of a complex scalar Debye potential yield complex solutions to the linearized Einstein equations. The complex linearized Weyl tensor is shown to be half Petrov type N. The remaining curvature component on the algebraically special side is reduced to a first order differential operator acting on the potential.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2019

Symmetries of linearized gravity from adjoint operators

Based on operator identities and their formal adjoints, we derive two symmetry operators for the linearized Einstein operator on vacuum backgrounds of Petrov type D and in particular the Kerr spacetime. One of them is of differential order four and coincides with a result of Cohen and Kegeles. The other one is a new operator of differential order six. The corresponding operator identities are based on the Teukolsky equation and the Teukolsky-Starobinski identities, respectively. The method applies to other field equations as well, which is illustrated with the Maxwell equation. The resulting symmetry operators are connected to Hertz and Debye potentials as well as to the separability of the Teukolsky equation for both Maxwell and linearized gravity.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2019

New identities for linearized gravity on the Kerr spacetime

In this paper we derive a differential identity for linearized gravity on the Kerr spacetime and more generally on vacuum spacetimes of Petrov type D. We show that a linear combination of second derivatives of the linearized Weyl tensor can be formed into a complex symmetric 2-tensor $\mathcal{M}_{ab}$ which solves the linearized Einstein equations. The identity makes this manifest by relating $\mathcal{M}_{ab}$ to two terms solving the linearized Einstein equations by construction. The self-dual Weyl curvature of $\mathcal{M}_{ab}$ gives a covariant version of the Teukolsky-Starobinsky identities for linearized gravity which, in addition to the two classical identities for linearized Weyl scalars with extreme spin weights, includes three additional equations. In particular, they are not consequences of the classical Teukolsky-Starobinsky identities, but are additional integrability conditions for linearized gravity. The result has direct application in the construction of symmetry operators and also yields a set of non-trivial gauge invariants for linearized gravity.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2018

All local gauge invariants for perturbations of the Kerr spacetime

We present two complex scalar gauge invariants for perturbations of the Kerr spacetime defined covariantly in terms of the Killing vectors and the conformal Killing-Yano tensor of the background together with the linearized curvature and its first derivatives. These invariants are in particular sensitive to variations of the Kerr parameters. Together with the Teukolsky scalars and the linearized Ricci tensor they form a minimal set that generates all local gauge invariants. We also present curvature invariants that reduce to the gauge invariants in linearized theory.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2016

Gauge-invariant perturbations of Schwarzschild spacetime

We study perturbations of Schwarzschild spacetime in a coordinate-free, covariant form. The GHP formulation, having the advantage of not only being covariant but also tetrad-rotation invariant, is used to write down the previously known odd- and even-parity gauge-invariants and the equations they satisfy. Additionally, in the even-parity sector, a new invariant and the second order hyperbolic equation it satisfies are presented. Chandrasekhar's work on transformations of solutions for perturbation equations on Schwarzschild spacetime is translated into the GHP form, i.e., solutions for the equations of the even- and odd-parity invariants are written in terms of one another, and the extreme Weyl scalars; and solutions for the equations of these latter invariants are also written in terms of one another. Recently, further gauge invariants previously used by Steven Detweiler have been described. His method is translated into GHP form and his basic invariants are presented here. We also show how these invariants can be written in terms of curvature invariants.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2015

New modes from higher curvature corrections in holography

In gravitational theories involving higher curvature corrections the metric describes additional degrees of freedom beyond the graviton. Holographic duality maps these to operators in the dual CFT. We identify infinite families of theories for which these new modes cannot be truncated and the usual Fefferman-Graham expansion needs to be modified. New massive gravity in three dimensions and critical gravity in four dimensions are particular representatives of these families. We propose modified expansion, study the near-boundary behaviour of the metric and derive fall-off properties of the additional modes in theories involving higher derivative corrections.

hep-th↗

arXiv2013

Charges for linearized gravity

Maxwell test fields as well as solutions of linearized gravity on the Kerr exterior admit non-radiating modes, i.e. non-trivial time-independent solutions. These are closely related to conserved charges. In this paper we discuss the non-radiating modes for linearized gravity, which may be seen to correspond to the Poincare Lie-algebra. The 2-dimensional isometry group of Kerr corresponds to a 2-parameter family of gauge-invariant non-radiating modes representing infinitesimal perturbations of mass and azimuthal angular momentum. We calculate the linearized mass charge in terms of linearized Newman-Penrose scalars.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2011

Linearized gravity and gauge conditions

In this paper we consider the field equations for linearized gravity and other integer spin fields on the Kerr spacetime, and more generally on spacetimes of Petrov type D. We give a derivation, using the GHP formalism, of decoupled field equations for the linearized Weyl scalars for all spin weights and identify the gauge source functions occuring in these. For the spin weight 0 Weyl scalar, imposing a generalized harmonic coordinate gauge yields a generalization of the Regge-Wheeler equation. Specializing to the Schwarzschild case, we derive the gauge invariant Regge-Wheeler and Zerilli equation directly from the equation for the spin 0 scalar.

gr-qc↗