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V. Pravda

Publications and source records attributed to V. Pravda.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Bianchi identities in higher dimensions

A higher dimensional frame formalism is developed in order to study implications of the Bianchi identities for the Weyl tensor in vacuum spacetimes of the algebraic types III and N in arbitrary dimension $n$. It follows that the principal null congruence is geodesic and expands isotropically in two dimensions and does not expand in $n-4$ spacelike dimensions or does not expand at all. It is shown that the existence of such principal geodesic null congruence in vacuum (together with an additional condition on twist) implies an algebraically special spacetime. We also use the Myers-Perry metric as an explicit example of a vacuum type D spacetime to show that principal geodesic null congruences in vacuum type D spacetimes do not share this property.

gr-qc

Curvature tensors on distorted Killing horizons and their algebraic classification

We consider generic static spacetimes with Killing horizons and study properties of curvature tensors in the horizon limit. It is determined that the Weyl, Ricci, Riemann and Einstein tensors are algebraically special and mutually aligned on the horizon. It is also pointed out that results obtained in the tetrad adjusted to a static observer in general differ from those obtained in a free-falling frame. This is connected to the fact that a static observer becomes null on the horizon. It is also shown that finiteness of the Kretschmann scalar on the horizon is compatible with the divergence of the Weyl component $Ψ_{3}$ or $Ψ_{4}$ in the freely falling frame. Furthermore finiteness of $Ψ_{4}$ is compatible with divergence of curvature invariants constructed from second derivatives of the Riemann tensor. We call the objects with finite Krestschmann scalar but infinite $Ψ_{4}$ ``truly naked black holes''. In the (ultra)extremal versions of these objects the structure of the Einstein tensor on the horizon changes due to extra terms as compared to the usual horizons, the null energy condition being violated at some portions of the horizon surface. The demand to rule out such divergencies leads to the constancy of the factor that governs the leading term in the asymptotics of the lapse function and in this sense represents a formal analog of the zeroth law of mechanics of non-extremal black holes. In doing so, all extra terms in the Einstein tensor automatically vanish.

gr-qc

A note on the peeling theorem in higher dimensions

We demonstrate the ``peeling property'' of the Weyl tensor in higher dimensions in the case of even dimensions (and with some additional assumptions), thereby providing a first step towards understanding of the general peeling behaviour of the Weyl tensor, and the asymptotic structure at null infinity, in higher dimensions.

gr-qc

VSI_i spacetimes and the epsilon-property

We investigate Lorentzian spacetimes where all zeroth and first order curvature invariants vanish and discuss how this class differs from the one where all curvature invariants vanish (VSI). We show that for VSI spacetimes all components of the Riemann tensor and its derivatives up to some fixed order can be made arbitrarily small. We discuss this in more detail by way of examples.

gr-qc

WANDs of the Black Ring

Necessary conditions for various algebraic types of the Weyl tensor are determined. These conditions are then used to find Weyl aligned null directions for the black ring solution. It is shown that the black ring solution is algebraically special, of type I_i, while locally on the horizon the type is II. One exceptional subclass - the Myers-Perry solution - is of type D.

gr-qc

Vanishing Scalar Invariant Spacetimes in Higher Dimensions

We study manifolds with Lorentzian signature and prove that all scalar curvature invariants of all orders vanish in a higher-dimensional Lorentzian spacetime if and only if there exists an aligned non-expanding, non-twisting, geodesic null direction along which the Riemann tensor has negative boost order.

gr-qc

Alignment and algebraically special tensors in Lorentzian geometry

We develop a dimension-independent theory of alignment in Lorentzian geometry, and apply it to the tensor classification problem for the Weyl and Ricci tensors. First, we show that the alignment condition is equivalent to the PND equation. In 4D, this recovers the usual Petrov types. For higher dimensions, we prove that, in general, a Weyl tensor does not possess aligned directions. We then go on to describe a number of additional algebraic types for the various alignment configurations. For the case of second-order symmetric (Ricci) tensors, we perform the classification by considering the geometric properties of the corresponding alignment variety.

gr-qc

Classification of the Weyl Tensor in Higher Dimensions

We discuss the algebraic classification of the Weyl tensor in higher dimensional Lorentzian manifolds. This is done by characterizing algebraically special Weyl tensors by means of the existence of aligned null vectors of various orders of alignment. Further classification is obtained by specifying the alignment type and utilizing the notion of reducibility. For a complete classification it is then necessary to count aligned directions, the dimension of the alignment variety, and the multiplicity of principal directions. The present classification reduces to the classical Petrov classification in four dimensions. Some applications are briefly discussed.

gr-qc

Generalizations of pp-wave spacetimes in higher dimensions

We shall investigate $D$-dimensional Lorentzian spacetimes in which all of the scalar invariants constructed from the Riemann tensor and its covariant derivatives are zero. These spacetimes are higher-dimensional generalizations of $D$-dimensional pp-wave spacetimes, which have been of interest recently in the context of string theory in curved backgrounds in higher dimensions.

gr-qc

All spacetimes with vanishing curvature invariants

All Lorentzian spacetimes with vanishing invariants constructed from the Riemann tensor and its covariant derivatives are determined. A subclass of the Kundt spacetimes results and we display the corresponding metrics in local coordinates. Some potential applications of these spacetimes are discussed.

gr-qc

On the spinning C-metric

Physical interpretation of some stationary and non-stationary regions of the spinning C-metric is presented. They represent different spacetime regions of a uniformly accelerated Kerr black hole. Stability of geodesics corresponding to equilibrium points in a general stationary spacetime with an additional symmetry is also studied and results are then applied to the spinning C-metric.

gr-qc

Boost-rotation symmetric vacuum spacetimes with spinning sources

Boost-rotation symmetric vacuum spacetimes with spinning sources which correspond to gravitational field of uniformly accelerated spinning "particles" are studied. Regularity conditions and asymptotic properties are analyzed. News functions are derived by transforming the general spinning boost-rotation symmetric vacuum metric to Bondi-Sachs coordinates.

gr-qc

Co-accelerated particles in the C-metric

With appropriately chosen parameters, the C-metric represents two uniformly accelerated black holes moving in the opposite directions on the axis of the axial symmetry (the z-axis). The acceleration is caused by nodal singularities located on the z-axis. In the~present paper, geodesics in the~C-metric are examined. In general there exist three types of timelike or null geodesics in the C-metric: geodesics describing particles 1) falling under the black hole horizon; 2)crossing the acceleration horizon; and 3) orbiting around the z-axis and co-accelerating with the black holes. Using an effective potential, it can be shown that there exist stable timelike geodesics of the third type if the product of the parameters of the C-metric, mA, is smaller than a certain critical value. Null geodesics of the third type are always unstable. Special timelike and null geodesics of the third type are also found in an analytical form.

gr-qc

Boost-rotation symmetric spacetimes - review

Boost-rotation symmetric spacetimes are the only locally asymptotically flat axially symmetric electrovacuum spacetimes with a further symmetry that are radiative. They are realized by uniformly accelerated particles of various kinds or black holes. Their general properties are summarized. Several examples of boost-rotation symmetric solutions of the Maxwell and Einstein equations are studied: uniformly accelerated electric and magnetic multipoles, the Bonnor-Swaminarayan solutions, the C-metric and the spinning C-metric.

gr-qc

Curvature invariants in type-III spacetimes

The results of paper [1] are generalized for vacuum type-III solutions with, in general, a non-vanishing cosmological constant Lambda. It is shown that all curvature invariants containing derivatives of the Weyl tensor vanish if a type-III spacetime admits a non-expanding and non-twisting null geodesic congruence. A non-vanishing curvature invariant containing first derivatives of the Weyl tensor is found in the case of type-III spacetime with expansion or twist.

gr-qc

Spinning C-metric: radiative spacetime with accelerating, rotating black holes

The spinning C-metric was discovered by Plebanski and Demianski as a generalization of the standard C-metric which is known to represent uniformly accelerated non-rotating black holes. We first transform the spinning C-metric into Weyl coordinates and analyze some of its properties as Killing vectors and curvature invariants. A transformation is then found which brings the metric into the canonical form of the radiative spacetimes with the boost-rotation symmetry. By analytically continuing the metric across "acceleration horizons", two new regions of the spacetime arise in which both Killing vectors are spacelike. We show that this metric can represent two uniformly accelerated, spinning black holes, either connected by a conical singularity, or with conical singularities extending from each of them to infinity. The radiative character of the metric is briefly discussed.

gr-qc