Slowly rotating and accelerating α′ -corrected black holes in four and higher dimensions

Abstract

We consider the low-energy effective action of string theory at order $\alpha '$, including $R^2$-corrections to the Einstein-Hilbert gravitational action and non-trivial dilaton coupling. By means of a convenient field redefinition, we manage to express the theory in a frame that enables us to solve its field equations analytically and perturbatively in $\alpha ' $ for a static spherically symmetric ansatz in an arbitrary number of dimensions. The set of solutions we obtain is compatible with asymptotically flat geometries exhibiting a regular event horizon at which the dilaton is well-behaved. For the 4-dimensional case, we also derive the stationary black hole configuration at first order in $\alpha '$ and in the slowly rotating approximation. This yields string theory modifications to the Kerr geometry, including terms of the form $a$, $a^2$, $\alpha '$ and $a\alpha '$. In addition, we obtain the first $\alpha'$ correction to the C-metrics, which accommodates accelerating black holes. We work in the string frame and discuss the connection to the Einstein frame, for which rotating black holes have already been obtained in the literature.