Abstract
It has been suggested that single and double jets observed emanating from certain astrophysical objects may have a purely gravitational origin. We discuss new classes of plane-fronted and pulsed gravitational wave solutions to the equation for perturbations of Ricci-flat spacetimes around Minkowski metrics, as models for the genesis of such phenomena. These solutions are classified in terms of their chirality and generate a family of non-stationary spacetime metrics. Particular members of these families are used as backgrounds in analysing time-like solutions to the geodesic equation for test particles. They are found numerically to exhibit both single and double jet-like features with dimensionless aspect ratios suggesting that it may be profitable to include such backgrounds in simulations of astrophysical jet dynamics from rotating accretion discs involving electromagnetic fields.
Highlights
Many astrophysical phenomena find an adequate explanation in the context of Newtonian gravitation and Einstein’s description of gravitation is routinely used
The use of the linearised Einstein vacuum equations facilitates the construction of families of complex eigen-solutions with definite chirality that are used to construct real spacetime metrics exhibiting families of time-like geodesics possessing particular jetlike characteristics on space-like hyper-surfaces. Test particles on such time-like geodesics exhibit, in general, a well defined sense of ‘handed-ness’ in space that we argue may offer a mechanism that initiates a flow of matter into directed jet-like structures
Based on a numerical exploration of particular time-like geodesics associated with background metrics constructed from complex eigen-solutions with definite chirality, we conclude that it may be profitable to include these non-Newtonian gravitational backgrounds in simulations of cosmic jet dynamics from rotating accretion discs involving electromagnetic fields
Summary
Many astrophysical phenomena find an adequate explanation in the context of Newtonian gravitation and Einstein’s description of gravitation is routinely used The use of the linearised Einstein vacuum equations facilitates the construction of families of complex eigen-solutions with definite chirality that are used to construct real spacetime metrics exhibiting families of time-like geodesics possessing particular jetlike characteristics on space-like hyper-surfaces Test particles on such time-like geodesics exhibit, in general, a well defined sense of ‘handed-ness’ in space that we argue may offer a mechanism that initiates a flow of matter into directed jet-like structures. Based on a numerical exploration of particular time-like geodesics associated with background metrics constructed from complex eigen-solutions with definite chirality, we conclude that it may be profitable to include these non-Newtonian gravitational backgrounds in simulations of cosmic jet dynamics from rotating accretion discs involving electromagnetic fields
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