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Thomas Bäckdahl

Publications and source records attributed to Thomas Bäckdahl.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2026

Perturbations of Kerr with approximate Killing spinors -- Wave version

In this paper we develop a new framework for non-linear perturbations of the Kerr spacetime. This is based on a characterization of the Kerr spacetime in terms of a Killing spinor. On the perturbed spacetime, one can construct an approximation of the Killing spinor. Based on this, a number of quantities are constructed measuring the deviation from Kerr. Evolution equations for these quantities are derived. Approximations of the Killing vectors, the mass and angular momentum parameters etc., are constructed along with a full set of equations for their derivatives. In this setting, we don't need a reference background solution. Instead, we covariantly construct the relevant structures on the perturbed spacetime itself. This can eliminate many issues and allow for a cleaner analysis.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2025

Stability for linearized gravity on the Kerr spacetime

In this paper we prove integrated energy and pointwise decay estimates for solutions of the vacuum linearized Einstein equation on the domain of outer communication of the Kerr black hole spacetime. The estimates are valid for the full subextreme range of Kerr black holes, provided integrated energy estimates for the Teukolsky equation hold. For slowly rotating Kerr backgrounds, such estimates are known to hold, due to the work of one of the authors. The results in this paper thus provide the first stability results for linearized gravity on the Kerr background, in the slowly rotating case, and reduce the linearized stability problem for the full subextreme range to proving integrated energy estimates for the Teukolsky equation. This constitutes an essential step towards a proof of the black hole stability conjecture, i.e. the statement that the Kerr family is dynamically stable, one of the central open problems in general relativity.

math.AP↗
arXiv2022

Second order symmetry operators for the massive Dirac equation

Employing the covariant language of two-spinors, we find what conditions a curved Lorentzian spacetime must satisfy for existence of a second order symmetry operator for the massive Dirac equation. The conditions are formulated as existence of a set of Killing spinors satisfying a set of covariant linear differential equations. Using these Killing spinors, we then state the most general form of such an operator. Partial results for the zeroth and first order are presented and interpreted as well. Computer algebra tools from the Mathematica package suite xAct were used for the calculations.

gr-qc↗
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

Nonlinear radiation gauge for near Kerr spacetimes

In this paper, we introduce and explore the properties of a new gauge choice for the vacuum Einstein equation inspired by the ingoing and outgoing radiation gauges (IRG, ORG) for the linearized vacuum Einstein equation introduced by Chrzanowski in his work on metric reconstruction [DOI:10.1103/PhysRevD.11.2042] on the Kerr background. It has been shown by Price, Shankar and Whiting [arXiv:gr-qc/0611070] that the IRG/ORG are consistent gauges for the linearized vacuum Einstein equation on Petrov type II backgrounds. In [arXiv:1903.03859], the ORG was used in proving linearized stability for the Kerr spacetime, and the new non-linear radiation gauge introduced here is a direct generalization of that gauge condition, and is intended to be used to study the stability of Kerr black holes under the evolution generated by the vacuum Einstein equation.

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↗
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↗
arXiv2016

Geometry of black hole spacetimes

These notes, based on lectures given at the summer school on Asymptotic Analysis in General Relativity, collect material on the Einstein equations, the geometry of black hole spacetimes, and the analysis of fields on black hole backgrounds. The Kerr model of a rotating black hole in vacuum is expected to be unique and stable. The problem of proving these fundamental facts provides the background for the material presented in these notes. Among the many topics which are relevant for the uniqueness and stability problems are the theory of fields on black hole spacetimes, in particular for gravitational perturbations of the Kerr black hole, and more generally, the study of nonlinear field equations in the presence of trapping. The study of these questions requires tools from several different fields, including Lorentzian geometry, hyperbolic differential equations and spin geometry, which are all relevant to the black hole stability problem.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2016

Decay of solutions to the Maxwell equation on the Schwarzschild background

A new Morawetz or integrated local energy decay estimate for Maxwell test fields on the exterior of a Schwarzschild black hole spacetime is proved. The proof makes use of a new superenergy tensor $H_{ab}$ defined in terms of the Maxwell field and its first derivatives. The superenergy tensor, although not conserved, yields a conserved higher order energy current $H_{ab} (\partial_t)^b$. The tensor $H_{ab}$ vanishes for the static Coulomb field, and the Morawetz estimate proved here therefore yields integrated decay for the Maxwell field to the Coulomb solution on the Schwarzschild exterior.

math.AP↗
arXiv2015

A formalism for the calculus of variations with spinors

We develop a frame and dyad gauge-independent formalism for the calculus of variations of functionals involving spinorial objects. As part of this formalism we define a modified variation operator which absorbs frame and spin dyad gauge terms. This formalism is applicable to both the standard spacetime (i.e. SL(2,C)) 2-spinors as well as to space (i.e. SU(2,C)) 2-spinors. We compute expressions for the variations of the connection and the curvature spinors.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2015

Spin geometry and conservation laws in the Kerr spacetime

In this paper we will review some facts, both classical and recent, concerning the geometry and analysis of the Kerr and related black hole spacetimes. This includes the analysis of test fields on these spacetimes. Central to our analysis is the existence of a valence $(2,0)$ Killing spinor, which we use to construct symmetry operators and conserved currents as well as a new energy momentum tensor for the Maxwell test fields on a class of spacetimes containing the Kerr spacetime. We then outline how this new energy momentum tensor can be used to obtain decay estimated for Maxwell test fields. An important motivation for this work is the black hole stability problem, where fields with non-zero spin present interesting new challenges. The main tool in the analysis is the 2-spinor calculus, and for completeness we introduce its main features.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2014

Second order symmetry operators

Using systematic calculations in spinor language, we obtain simple descriptions of the second order symmetry operators for the conformal wave equation, the Dirac-Weyl equation and the Maxwell equation on a curved four dimensional Lorentzian manifold. The conditions for existence of symmetry operators for the different equations are seen to be related. Computer algebra tools have been developed and used to systematically reduce the equations to a form which allows geometrical interpretation.

gr-qc↗
arXiv2014

Hertz potentials and asymptotic properties of massless fields

In this paper we analyze Hertz potentials for free massless spin-s fields on the Minkowski spacetime, with data in weighted Sobolev spaces. We prove existence and pointwise estimates for the Hertz potentials using a weighted estimate for the wave equation. This is then applied to give weighted estimates for the solutions of the spin-s field equations, for arbitrary half-integer s. In particular, the peeling properties of the free massless spin-s fields are analyzed for initial data in weighted Sobolev spaces with arbitrary, non-integer weights.

math.AP↗
arXiv2012

Constructing "non-Kerrness" on compact domains

Given a compact domain of a 3-dimensional hypersurface on a vacuum spacetime, a scalar (the "non-Kerrness") is constructed by solving a Dirichlet problem for a second order elliptic system. If such scalar vanishes, and a set of conditions are satisfied at a point, then the domain of dependence of the compact domain is isometric to a portion of a member of the Kerr family of solutions to the Einstein field equations. This construction is expected to be of relevance in the analysis of numerical simulations of black hole spacetimes.

gr-qc↗