Staticity and regularity for zero rest-mass fields near spatial infinity on flat spacetime

Linear zero-rest-mass fields generically develop logarithmic singularities at the critical sets where spatial infinity meets null infinity. Friedrich's representation of spatial infinity is ideally suited to study this phenomenon. These logarithmic singularities are an obstruction to the smoothness of the zero-rest-mass field at null infinity and, in particular, to peeling. In the case of the spin-2 field it has been shown that these logarithmic singularities can be precluded if the initial data for the field satisfies a certain regularity condition involving the vanishing, at spatial infinity, of a certain spinor (the linearised Cotton spinor) and its totally symmetrised derivatives. In this article we investigate the relation between this regularity condition and the staticity of the spin-2 field. It is shown that while any static spin-2 field satisfies the regularity condition, not every solution satisfying the regularity condition is static. This result is in contrast with what happens in the case of General Relativity where staticity in a neighbourhood of spatial infinity and the smoothness of the field at future and past null infinities are much more closely related.

Non-Rindler horizons and radiating black holes

In this work we construct metrics corresponding to radiating black holes whose near horizon regions cannot be approximated by Rindler space–time. We first construct infinite parameter coordinate transformations from Minkowski coordinates, such that an observer using these coordinates to describe space–time events measures the Minkowski vacuum to be Planckian. Utilizing these results, we construct a family of black holes that radiate at spatial infinity. As an illustration, we study a subset of the black hole solutions and show that they satisfy the null energy condition.

Unit-Lapse Forms of Various Spacetimes

<p><b>Every spacetime is defined by its metric, the mathematical object which further defines the spacetime curvature. From the relativity principle, we have the freedom to choose which coordinate system to write our metric in. Some coordinate systems, however, are better than others. In this text, we begin with a brief introduction into general relativity, Einstein's masterpiece theory of gravity. We then discuss some physically interesting spacetimes and the coordinate systems that the metrics of these spacetimes can be expressed in. More specifically, we discuss the existence of the rather useful unit-lapse forms of these spacetimes. Using the metric written in this form then allows us to conduct further analysis of these spacetimes, which we discuss. </b></p><p>Overall, the work given in this text has many interesting mathematical and physical applications. Firstly, unit-lapse spacetimes are quite common and occur rather naturally for many specific analogue spacetimes. In an astrophysical context, unit-lapse forms of stationary spacetimes are rather useful since they allow for very simple and immediate calculation of a large class of timelike geodesics, the rain geodesics. Physically these geodesics represent zero angular momentum observers (ZAMOs), with zero initial velocity that are dropped from spatial infinity and are a rather tractable probe of the physics occurring in the spacetime. Mathematically, improved coordinate systems of the Kerr spacetime are rather important since they give a better understanding of the rather complicated and challenging Kerr spacetime. These improved coordinate systems, for example, can be applied to the attempts at finding a "Gordon form" of the Kerr spacetime and can also be applied to attempts at upgrading the "Newman-Janis trick" from an ansatz to a full algorithm. Also, these new forms of the Kerr metric allows for a greater observational ability to differentiate exact Kerr black holes from "black hole mimickers".</p>

Unit-Lapse Forms of Various Spacetimes

<p><b>Every spacetime is defined by its metric, the mathematical object which further defines the spacetime curvature. From the relativity principle, we have the freedom to choose which coordinate system to write our metric in. Some coordinate systems, however, are better than others. In this text, we begin with a brief introduction into general relativity, Einstein's masterpiece theory of gravity. We then discuss some physically interesting spacetimes and the coordinate systems that the metrics of these spacetimes can be expressed in. More specifically, we discuss the existence of the rather useful unit-lapse forms of these spacetimes. Using the metric written in this form then allows us to conduct further analysis of these spacetimes, which we discuss. </b></p><p>Overall, the work given in this text has many interesting mathematical and physical applications. Firstly, unit-lapse spacetimes are quite common and occur rather naturally for many specific analogue spacetimes. In an astrophysical context, unit-lapse forms of stationary spacetimes are rather useful since they allow for very simple and immediate calculation of a large class of timelike geodesics, the rain geodesics. Physically these geodesics represent zero angular momentum observers (ZAMOs), with zero initial velocity that are dropped from spatial infinity and are a rather tractable probe of the physics occurring in the spacetime. Mathematically, improved coordinate systems of the Kerr spacetime are rather important since they give a better understanding of the rather complicated and challenging Kerr spacetime. These improved coordinate systems, for example, can be applied to the attempts at finding a "Gordon form" of the Kerr spacetime and can also be applied to attempts at upgrading the "Newman-Janis trick" from an ansatz to a full algorithm. Also, these new forms of the Kerr metric allows for a greater observational ability to differentiate exact Kerr black holes from "black hole mimickers".</p>

Asymptotic structure of the Rarita-Schwinger theory in four spacetime dimensions at spatial infinity

We investigate the asymptotic structure of the free Rarita-Schwinger theory in four spacetime dimensions at spatial infinity in the Hamiltonian formalism. We impose boundary conditions for the spin-3/2 field that are invariant under an infinite-dimensional (abelian) algebra of non-trivial asymptotic fermionic symmetries. The compatibility of this set of boundary conditions with the invariance of the theory under Lorentz boosts requires the introduction of boundary degrees of freedom in the Hamiltonian action, along the lines of electromagnetism. These boundary degrees of freedom modify the symplectic structure by a surface contribution appearing in addition to the standard bulk piece. The Poincaré transformations have then well-defined (integrable, finite) canonical generators. Moreover, improper fermionic gauge symmetries, which are also well-defined canonical transformations, are further enlarged and turn out to be parametrized by two independent angle-dependent spinor functions at infinity, which lead to an infinite-dimensional fermionic algebra endowed with a central charge. We extend next the analysis to the supersymmetric spin-(1, 3/2) and spin-(2, 3/2) multiplets. First, we present the canonical realization of the super-Poincaré algebra on the spin-(1, 3/2) multiplet, which is shown to be consistently enhanced by the infinite-dimensional abelian algebra of angle-dependent bosonic and fermionic improper gauge symmetries associated with the electromagnetic and the Rarita-Schwinger fields, respectively. A similar analysis of the spin-(2, 3/2) multiplet is then carried out to obtain the canonical realization of the super-Poincaré algebra, consistently enhanced by the abelian improper bosonic gauge transformations of the spin-2 field (BMS supertranslations) and the abelian improper fermionic gauge transformations of the spin-3/2 field.

Thermodynamically stable asymptotically flat hairy black holes with a dilaton potential: the general case

We extend the analysis, initiated in [1], of the thermodynamic stability of four-dimensional asymptotically flat hairy black holes by considering a general class of exact solutions in Einstein-Maxwell-dilaton theory with a non-trivial dilaton potential. We find that, regardless of the values of the parameters of the theory, there always exists a sub-class of hairy black holes that are thermodynamically stable and have the extremal limit well defined. This generic feature that makes the equilibrium configurations locally stable should be related to the properties of the dilaton potential that is decaying towards the spatial infinity, but behaves as a box close to the horizon. We prove that these thermodynamically stable solutions are also dynamically stable under spherically symmetric perturbations.

A note on dual gravitational charges

Dual gravitational charges have been recently computed from the Holst term in tetrad variables using covariant phase space methods. We highlight that they originate from an exact 3-form in the tetrad symplectic potential that has no analogue in metric variables. Hence there exists a choice of the tetrad symplectic potential that sets the dual charges to zero. This observation relies on the ambiguity of the covariant phase space methods. To shed more light on the dual contributions, we use the Kosmann variation to compute (quasi-local) Hamiltonian charges for arbitrary diffeomorphisms. We obtain a formula that illustrates comprehensively why the dual contribution to the Hamiltonian charges: (i) vanishes for exact isometries and asymptotic symmetries at spatial infinity; (ii) persists for asymptotic symmetries at future null infinity, in addition to the usual BMS contribution. Finally, we point out that dual gravitational charges can be equally derived using the Barnich-Brandt prescription based on cohomological methods, and that the same considerations on asymptotic symmetries apply.

Framing Infinity in Tarkovsky’s Nostalghia

This chapter discusses how Tarkovsky’s Nostalghia (1983) organizes its mise-en-scene to frame a relationship with mental and spatial infinity that speaks to timelessness, fluid immobility, and spiraled untraversability. By employing Aristotle’s terminology, the author demonstrates how Tarkovsky represents space as unfolded becoming through tableaux vivants and superimpositions of architectures. In support of this argument, the author turns to optical geometry, theories of painting, and architectural framings. The chapter also discusses an excess of vision in the film that parallels its treatment of time and space. In opposition to traditional notions of cinema as Cartesian monocular vision, the author maintains, Tarkovsky values curved, non-mechanical perspectives that align with Lyotard’s theories of painting and theater architecture.

Unsettling Physics in the Quantum-Corrected Schwarzschild Black Hole

We study a quantum-corrected Schwarzschild black hole proposed recently in Loop Quantum Gravity. Prompted by the fact that corrections to the innermost stable circular orbit of Schwarzschild diverge, we investigate time-like and null radial geodesics. Massive particles moving radially outwards are confined, while photons make it to infinity with infinite redshift. This unsettling physics, which deviates radically from both Schwarzschild (near the horizon) and Minkowski (at infinity) is due to repulsion by the negative quantum energy density that makes the quasilocal mass vanish as one approaches spatial infinity.