arXiv subjects

Vojtěch Pravda

Publications and source records attributed to Vojtěch Pravda.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Static spherically symmetric Kundt vacuum solutions of higher-derivative gravities

We study static spherically symmetric Kundt solutions to the vacuum field equations of quadratic gravity with a cosmological constant, as well as specific models of six-derivative gravity. In quadratic gravity, we identify all solutions for coupling constants satisfying ${α\neq3β}$, while the case ${α=3β}$ is studied using the Frobenius method, where we derive the recurrence relations for the power series. In contrast, in six-derivative gravity, we focus on selected models to illustrate the variety of closed-form solutions; we also analyze possible indicial families of Frobenius solutions. For all solutions, we analyze curvature singularities and their accessibility to geodesic observers. We then construct exact gravitational-wave solutions propagating on some of these backgrounds in quadratic and six-derivative gravity. It is known that in Einstein gravity, gravitational waves on the Nariai background unavoidably contain singularities, which are interpreted as physical sources generating these gravitational waves. In contrast, in addition to singular solutions, for appropriate values of the coupling constants, higher-order gravities allow for globally smooth solutions representing gravitational waves.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2025

On vacuum and charged asymptotically (A)dS black holes in quadratic gravity

In this paper, we study asymptotic properties of static spherically symmetric black holes in quadratic gravity with a cosmological constant $Λ$. We find that for sufficiently large values of $|Λ|$ these black holes are generically asymptotically (A)dS and form a three-parameter family of black holes, with free parameters being the horizon radius, $Λ$, and Bach parameter $b$. For smaller values of $|Λ|$, fine-tuning of the Bach parameter is necessary to recover asymptotically (A)dS behaviour, resulting in two distinct two-parameter families of spherically symmetric black holes with (A)dS asymptotics. One family is the (A)dS-Schwarzschild solution, the other is a fine-tuned asymtotically (A)dS-Schwarzschild-Bach solution. We also generalise the above solutions to electrically charged black holes, obtaining qualitatively similar asymptotic behaviour. This adds the electric charge as an additional free parameter of these black holes. Both fine-tuned three-parameter families are distinct from Reissner-Nordström black holes.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2022

On well-posedness and algebraic type of the five-dimensional charged rotating black hole with two equal-magnitude angular momenta

We study various mathematical aspects of the charged rotating black hole with two equal-magnitude angular momenta in five dimensions. We introduce a coordinate system that is regular on the horizon and in which Einstein-Maxwell equations reduce to an autonomous system of ODEs. Employing Bondi and Kruskal-like coordinates, we analyze the geometric regularity of the black hole metric at infinity and the horizon, respectively, and the well-posedness of the corresponding boundary value problem. We also study the algebraic types of the electromagnetic and curvature tensors. While outside the horizon the electromagnetic and Ricci tensors are of type D, the Weyl tensor is algebraically general. The Weyl tensor simplifies to type~II on the horizon and type~D on the bifurcation sphere. These results imply inconsistency of the metric with the Kerr--Schild form with a geodesic Kerr-Schild vector. This feature is shared by the four-dimensional Kerr-Newman metric and the vacuum Myers-Perry or charged Schwarzschild-Tangherlini geometries in arbitrary dimension, but hence not by the black hole we have considered here.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2019

Almost universal spacetimes in higher-order gravity theories

We study almost universal spacetimes - spacetimes for which the field equations of any generalized gravity with the Lagrangian constructed from the metric, the Riemann tensor and its covariant derivatives of arbitrary order reduce to one single differential equation and one algebraic condition for the Ricci scalar. We prove that all d-dimensional Kundt spacetimes of Weyl type III and traceless Ricci type N are almost universal. Explicit examples of Weyl type II almost universal Kundt metrics are also given. The considerable simplification of the field equations of higher-order gravity theories for almost universal spacetimes is then employed to study new Weyl type II, III, and N vacuum solutions to quadratic gravity in arbitrary dimension and six-dimensional conformal gravity. Necessary conditions for almost universal metrics are also studied.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2018

Universal electromagnetic fields

We study universal electromagnetic (test) fields, i.e., p-forms fields F that solve simultaneously (virtually) any generalized electrodynamics (containing arbitrary powers and derivatives of F in the field equations) in n spacetime dimensions. One of the main results is a sufficient condition: any null F that solves Maxwell's equations in a Kundt spacetime of aligned Weyl and traceless-Ricci type III is universal (in particular thus providing examples of p-form Galileons on curved Kundt backgrounds). In addition, a few examples in Kundt spacetimes of Weyl type II are presented. Some necessary conditions are also obtained, which are particularly strong in the case n=4=2p: all the scalar invariants of a universal 2-form in four dimensions must be constant, and vanish in the special case of a null F .

gr-qc↗

arXiv2018

Electromagnetic fields with vanishing quantum corrections

We show that a large class of null electromagnetic fields are immune to any modifications of Maxwell's equations in the form of arbitrary powers and derivatives of the field strength. These are thus exact solutions to virtually any generalized classical electrodynamics containing both non-linear terms and higher derivatives, including, e.g., non-linear electrodynamics as well as QED- and string-motivated effective theories. This result holds not only in a flat or (anti-)de Sitter background, but also in a larger subset of Kundt spacetimes, which allow for the presence of aligned gravitational waves and pure radiation.

hep-th↗

arXiv2018

On higher dimensional Einstein spacetimes with a non-degenerate double Weyl aligned null direction

We prove that higher dimensional Einstein spacetimes which possess a geodesic, non-degenerate double Weyl aligned null direction (WAND) $\ell$ must additionally possess a second double WAND (thus being of type D) if either: (a) the Weyl tensor obeys $C_{abc[d}\ell_{e]}\ell^c=0$ ($\LeftrightarrowΦ_{ij}=0$, i.e., the Weyl type is II(abd)); (b) $\ell$ is twistfree. Some comments about an extension of the Goldberg-Sachs theorem to six dimensions are also made.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2017

Universal spacetimes in four dimensions

Universal spacetimes are exact solutions to all higher-order theories of gravity. We study these spacetimes in four dimensions and provide necessary and sufficient conditions for universality for all Petrov types except of type II. We show that all universal spacetimes in four dimensions are algebraically special and Kundt. Petrov type D universal spacetimes are necessarily direct products of two 2-spaces of constant and equal curvature. Furthermore, type II universal spacetimes necessarily possess a null recurrent direction and they admit the above type D direct product metrics as a limit. Such spacetimes represent gravitational waves propagating on these backgrounds. Type III universal spacetimes are also investigated. We determine necessary and sufficient conditions for universality and present an explicit example of a type III universal Kundt non-recurrent metric.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2016

Electromagnetic fields with vanishing scalar invariants

We determine the class of $p$-forms $F$ which possess vanishing scalar invariants (VSI) at arbitrary order in a $n$-dimensional spacetime. Namely, we prove that $F$ is VSI if and only if it is of type N, its multiple null direction $l$ is "degenerate Kundt", and $\nabla_{l}F=0$. The result is theory-independent. Next, we discuss the special case of Maxwell fields, both at the level of test fields and of the full Einstein-Maxwell equations. These describe electromagnetic non-expanding waves propagating in various Kundt spacetimes. We further point out that a subset of these solutions possesses a universal property, i.e., they also solve (virtually) any generalized (non-linear and with higher derivatives) electrodynamics, possibly also coupled to Einstein's gravity.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2016

VSI electromagnetic fields

A $p$-form $F$ is VSI (i.e., all its scalar invariants of arbitrary order vanish) in a $n$-dimensional spacetime if and only if it is of type N, its multiple null direction $l$ is "degenerate Kundt", and $£_{l}F=0$. This recent result is reviewed in the present contribution and its main consequences are summarized. In particular, a subset of VSI Maxwell fields possesses a universal property, i.e., they also solve (virtually) any generalized (non-linear and with higher derivatives) electrodynamics, possibly also coupled to Einstein's gravity.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2016

Type II universal spacetimes

We study type II universal metrics of the Lorentzian signature. These metrics simultaneously solve vacuum field equations of all theories of gravitation with the Lagrangian being a polynomial curvature invariant constructed from the metric, the Riemann tensor and its covariant derivatives of an arbitrary order. We provide examples of type II universal metrics for all composite number dimensions. On the other hand, we have no examples for prime number dimensions and we prove the non-existence of type II universal spacetimes in five dimensions. We also present type II vacuum solutions of selected classes of gravitational theories, such as Lovelock, quadratic and L(Riemann) gravities.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2012

On the Goldberg-Sachs theorem in higher dimensions in the non-twisting case

We study a generalization of the "shear-free part" of the Goldberg-Sachs theorem for Einstein spacetimes admitting a non-twisting multiple Weyl Aligned Null Direction (WAND) l in n>=6 spacetime dimensions. The form of the corresponding optical matrix $ρ$ is restricted by the algebraically special property in terms of the degeneracy of its eigenvalues. In particular, there necessarily exists at least one multiple eigenvalue and further constraints arise in various special cases. For example, when $ρ$ is non-degenerate and the Weyl components $Φ_{ij}$ are non-zero, all eigenvalues of $ρ$ coincide and such spacetimes thus correspond to the Robinson-Trautman (RT) class. On the other hand, in certain degenerate cases all non-zero eigenvalues can be distinct. We also present explicit examples of Einstein spacetimes admitting some of the permitted forms of $ρ$, including examples violating the "optical constraint". The obtained restrictions on $ρ$ are, however, in general not sufficient for l to be a multiple WAND, as demonstrated by a few "counterexamples". We also discuss the geometrical meaning of these restrictions in terms of integrability properties of certain null distributions. Finally, we specialize our analysis to the six-dimensional case, where all the permitted forms of $ρ$ are given in terms of just two parameters. In the appendices some examples are given and certain results pertaining to (possibly) twisting mWANDs of Einstein spacetimes are presented.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2011

Type III and N solutions to quadratic gravity

We study exact vacuum solutions to quadratic gravity (QG) of the Weyl types N and III. We show that in an arbitrary dimension all Einstein spacetimes of the Weyl type N with an appropriately chosen effective cosmological constant $Λ$ are exact solutions to QG and we refer to explicitly known metrics within this class. For type III Einstein spacetimes, an additional constraint follows from the field equations of QG and examples of spacetimes obeying such constraint are given. However, type III pp-waves do not satisfy this constraint and thus do not solve QG. For type N, we also study a wider class of spacetimes admitting a pure radiation term in the Ricci tensor. In contrast to the Einstein case, the field equations of generic QG determine optical properties of the geometry and restrict such exact solutions to the Kundt class. We provide examples of these metrics.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2011

Kerr-Schild spacetimes with (A)dS background

General properties of Kerr-Schild spacetimes with (A)dS background in arbitrary dimension are studied. It is shown that the geodetic Kerr-Schild vector k is a multiple WAND of the spacetime. Einstein Kerr-Schild spacetimes with non-expanding k are shown to be of Weyl type N, while the expanding spacetimes are of type II or D. It is shown that this class of spacetimes obeys the optical constraint. This allows us to solve Sachs equation, determine r-dependence of boost weight zero components of the Weyl tensor and discuss curvature singularities.

gr-qc↗