Formulation Of General Relativity Research Articles

Mass, charge, and distance to Reissner–Nordström black hole in terms of directly measurable quantities

In this paper, we employ a general relativistic formalism and develop new theoretical tools that allow us to analytically express the mass and electric charge of the Reissner–Nordström black hole as well as its distance to a distant observer in terms of few directly observable quantities, such as the total frequency shift, aperture angle of the telescope, and redshift rapidity. Our analytic and concise formulas are valid on the midline, and the redshift rapidity is a relativistic invariant observable that represents the evolution of the frequency shift with respect to the proper time in the Reissner–Nordström spacetime. This procedure is applicable for particles undergoing circular motion around a spherically symmetric and electrically charged black hole, which is the case for accretion disks orbiting supermassive black holes hosted at the core of active galactic nuclei. Although this type of black hole is expected to be electrically neutral, our results provide a novel method to measure the electric charge of the Reissner–Nordström black hole, hence can shed some light on this claim. Besides, these results allow us to measure the mass of the black hole and its distance from the Earth, and we can employ the general formulas in black hole parameter estimation studies.

Non-singular gravitational collapse through modified Heisenberg algebra

We study the effects of cut-off physics, in the form of a modified algebra inspired by Polymer Quantum Mechanics and by the Generalized Uncertainty Principle representation, on the collapse of a spherical dust cloud. We analyze both the Newtonian formulation, originally developed by Hunter, and the general relativistic formulation, that is the Oppenheimer–Snyder model; in both frameworks we find that the collapse is stabilized to an asymptotically static state above the horizon, and the singularity is removed. In the Newtonian case, by requiring the Newtonian approximation to be valid, we find lower bounds of the order of unity (in Planck units) for the deformation parameter of the modified algebra. We then study the behaviour of small perturbations on the non-singular collapsing backgrounds, and find that for certain range of the parameters (the polytropic index for the Newtonian case and the sound velocity in the relativistic setting) the collapse is stable to perturbations of all scales, and the non-singular super-Schwarzschild configurations have physical meaning.

Overall signature of the metric and the cosmological constant

We consider a little known aspect of signature change, where the overall sign of the metric is allowed to change, with physical implications. We show how, in different formulations of general relativity, this type of classical signature change across boundaries with a degenerate metric can be made consistent with a change in sign (and value) of the cosmological constant Λ. In particular, the separate “mostly plus” and “mostly minus” signature sectors of Lorentzian gravity are most naturally associated with different signs of Λ. We show how this general phenomenon allows for classical solutions where the open dS patch can arise from a portion of AdS space time. These can be interpreted as classical “imaginary space” extensions of the usual Lorentzian theory, with a 2 < 0.

Magnetically confined mountains on accreting neutron stars in general relativity

ABSTRACT The general relativistic formulation of the problem of magnetically confined mountains on neutron stars is presented, and the resulting equations are solved numerically, generalizing previous Newtonian calculations. The hydromagnetic structure of the accreted matter and the subsequent magnetic burial of the star’s magnetic dipole moment are computed. Overall, it is observed that relativistic corrections reduce the hydromagnetic deformation associated with the mountain. The magnetic field lines are curved more gently than in previous calculations, and the screening of the dipole moment is reduced. Quantitatively, it is found that the dimensionless dipole moment (md) depends on the accreted mass (Ma) as md = −3.2 × 103Ma/M⊙ + 1.0, implying approximately three times less screening compared to the Newtonian theory. Additionally, the characteristic scale height of the mountain, governing the gradients of quantities like pressure, density, and magnetic field strength, reduces by approximately 40 per cent for an isothermal equation of state.

Quantum cosmology of pure connection general relativity

We study homogeneous cosmological models in formulations of general relativity with cosmological constant based on a (complexified) connection rather than a spacetime metric, in particular in a first order theory obtained by integrating out the self-dual two-forms in the chiral Plebański formulation. Classical dynamics for the Bianchi IX model are studied in the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formalism, where we emphasise the reality conditions needed to obtain real Lorentzian solutions. The solutions to these reality conditions fall into different branches, which in turn lead to different real Hamiltonian theories, only one of which is the usual Lorentzian Bianchi IX model. We also show the simpler case of the flat Bianchi I model, for which both the reality conditions and dynamical equations simplify considerably. We discuss the relation of a real Euclidean version of the same theory to this complex theory. Finally, we study the quantum theory of homogeneous and isotropic models, for which the pure connection action for general relativity reduces to a pure boundary term and the path integral is evaluated immediately, reproducing known results in quantum cosmology. An intriguing aspect of these theories is that the signature of the effective spacetime metric, and hence the interpretation of the cosmological constant, are intrinsically ambiguous.

A vielbein formalism for SHP general relativity

The 4+1 formalism in general relativity expresses the Einstein equations as a manifestly covariant initial value problem, resulting in a pair of first order evolution equations for the metric γμv and intrinsic curvature Kμv of spacetime geometry (μ, v = 0, 1, 2, 3). This approach extends the Stueckelberg-Horwitz-Piron (SHP) framework, a covariant approach to canonical particle mechanics and field theory employing a Lorentz scalar Hamiltonian K and an external chronological parameter τ. The SHP Hamiltonian generates τ-evolution of spacetime events xμ (τ) or ψ (x, τ) in an a priori unconstrained phase space; standard relativistic dynamics can be recovered a posteriori by imposing symmetries that express the usual mass shell constraint for individual particles and fields as conservation laws. As a guide to posing field equations for the evolving metric, we generalize the structure of SHP electrodynamics, with particular attention to O(3,1) covariance. Thus, the 4+1 method first defines a 5D pseudo-spacetime as a direct product of spacetime geometry and chronological evolution, poses 5D field equations whose symmetry must be broken to 4D, and then implements the implied 4+1 foliation to obtain evolution equations. In this paper, we sharpen and clarify the interpretation of this decomposition by introducing a fixed orthonormal quintrad frame and a 5D vielbein field that by construction respects the preferred 4+1 foliation. We show that for any diagonal metric, this procedure enables the evolution equation for the metric to be replaced by an evolution equation for the vielbein field itself, simplifying calculation of the spin connection and curvature.

On the breakdown of space–time in general relativity

Based on the canonical quantization of d &gt; 2-dimensional general relativity (GR) via the Dirac constraint formalism (also termed as ‘constraint quantization’), we propose the loss of covariance as a fundamental property of the theory. This breakdown occurs for the first-order Einstein–Hilbert action, whereby the loss of diffeomorphism invariance, besides first-class constraints, second-class constraints also exist leading to non-standard ghost fields that render the path integral non-covariant. We also attempt, for the first time, the canonical quantization via calculation of the path integral for the equivalent Hamiltonian formulation of GR, for which only first-class constraints exist. However, loss of covariance still occurs in this action due to loss of diffeomorphism invariance and structures arising from non-covariant constraints in the path integral. In contrast, we find that covariance as a symmetry is restored and quantization with perturbative calculations is possible in the weak limit of the gravitational field of these actions. Hence, we first establish, for the first time, that the breakdown in space–time is a property of GR itself as its limitation, indicating it to be an effective field theory (EFT). We further propose that the breakdown of space–time occurs as a non-perturbative feature of GR in the strong field limit of the theory. Besides GR, we also note that covariance is preserved when constraint quantization is conducted for non-Abelian gauge theories, such as the Yang–Mills theory. These findings are novel from a canonical gravity formalism and EFT approach, and are consistent with GR singularity theorems, yet are general and extend them, as the singularity theorems indicate breakdown at a strong field limit of GR in black holes. Our findings are in contrast to the asymptotic safety program. They support emergent theories of space–time and gravity, though are unique, as they do not require thermodynamics such as the entropic gravity program. From an EFT view, these indicate that new degrees of freedom and(or) principles in the non-perturbative sector of the full theory are a requirement, whereby covariance as a symmetry is broken in the high-energy (strong field) sector of GR.

Probing a polymerized black hole with the frequency shifts of photons

As is well-known, black hole plays an important role in probing the quantum effects of gravity in the strong-field regime. In this paper, we focus on a polymerized black hole and investigate the quantum effects on the redshift, blueshift and gravitational redshift of photons emitted by massive particles revolving around this black hole. With a general relativistic formalism, we obtain two elegant and concise expressions for the mass of the black hole and the quantum parameter in terms of few direct observables, and find that all the frequency shifts of photons decrease with the quantum parameter. By expanding the total frequency shift for large orbit of the emitter, low peculiar redshift, and small azimuthal angle, we find that the leading contributions to the frequency shift are originated from the kinematic shift and peculiar shift, and the quantum effects make a negligible contribution. In addition, we study the effects of the plasma on the redshift/blueshift for the first time, and conclude that the presence of plasma results in the decrease of the redshift/blueshift.

A linear response relation for perturbed Einstein’s equations with a Langevin source: applications to perturbations in compact stars

A new linear response relation for the perturbed Einstein’s equation is introduced. We give the idea of considering the metric perturbations as a linear response to the fluid (matter) perturbations in strong gravity regions. This can be meaningful when the perturbations in the system are driven by sources internal to the fluid (matter) in the relativistic star. The aim is to study the strong regions embedding the compact matter like that of the internal structure of relativistic stars, with this new framework. The formulations are specifically done to address the generalized stochastic perturbations which can arise in the dense matter at intermediate scales. These internally sourced perturbations lead to the possibility of equilibrium and non-equilibrium (dynamical or thermal) statistical analysis for the properties of compact matter at the sub-hydro mesoscopic scales, which are yet unexplored. A general relativistic Langevin formalism, defining a random driving source and its analytical solutions for a simple example are given. With a first principles approach, this new framework and its potential towards building up a theme of research in asteroseismology is discussed.

A 3+1 formulation of the 1/c expansion of General Relativity

Expanding General Relativity in the inverse speed of light, 1/c, leads to a nonrelativistic gravitational theory that extends the Post-Newtonian expansion by the inclusion of additional strong gravitational potentials. This theory has a fully covariant formulation in the language of Newton-Cartan geometry but we revisit it here in a 3+1 formulation. The appropriate 3+1 formulation of General Relativity is one first described by Kol and Smolkin (KS), rather than the better known Arnowitt-Deser-Misner (ADM) formalism. As we review, the KS formulation is dual to the ADM formulation in that the role of tangent and co-tangent spaces get interchanged. In this 3+1 formulation the 1/c expansion can be performed in a more systematic and efficient fashion, something we use to extend the computation of the effective Lagrangian beyond what was previously achieved and to make a number of new all order observations.

Canonical Formulation of Embedding Gravity in a Form of General Relativity with Dark Matter

Canonical Formulation of Embedding Gravity in a Form of General Relativity with Dark Matter

On General-Relativistic Lagrangian Perturbation Theory and Its Non-Perturbative Generalization

The Newtonian Lagrangian perturbation theory is a widely used framework to study structure formation in cosmology in the nonlinear regime. We review a general-relativistic formulation of such a perturbation approach, emphasizing results on an already developed extensive formalism including among other aspects: the non-perturbative modeling of Ricci and Weyl curvatures, gravitational waves, and pressure-supported fluids. We discuss subcases of exact solutions related to Szekeres Class II and, as an exact average model, Ricci-flat LTB models. The latter forms the basis of a generalization that we then propose in terms of a scheme that goes beyond the relativistic Lagrangian perturbation theory on a global homogeneous-isotropic background cosmology. This new approximation does not involve a homogeneous reference background and it contains Szekeres class I (and thus general LTB models) as exact subcases. Most importantly, this new approximation allows for the interaction of structure with an evolving “background cosmology”, conceived as a spatial average model, and thus includes cosmological backreaction.

Wald’s entropy in Coincident General Relativity

The equivalence principle and its universality enables the geometrical formulation of gravity. In the standard formulation of General Relativity (GR) á la Einstein, the gravitational interaction is geometrized in terms of the spacetime curvature. However, if we embrace the geometrical character of gravity, two alternative, though equivalent, formulations of GR emerge in flat spacetimes, in which gravity is fully ascribed either to torsion or to non-metricity. The latter allows a much simpler formulation of GR oblivious to the affine spacetime structure, the Coincident General Relativity (CGR). The entropy of a black hole can be computed using the Euclidean path integral approach, which strongly relies on the addition of boundary or regulating terms in the standard formulation of GR. A more fundamental derivation can be performed using Wald’s formula, in which the entropy is directly related to Noether charges and is applicable to general theories with diffeomorphism invariance. In this work we extend Wald’s Noether charge method for calculating black hole entropy to spacetimes endowed with non-metricity. Using this method, we show that CGR with an improved action principle gives the same entropy as the well-known entropy in standard GR. Furthermore the first law of black hole thermodynamics holds and an explicit expression for the energy appearing in the first law is obtained.

On the Rotation Curve of Disk Galaxies in General Relativity

Recently, it has been suggested that the phenomenology of flat rotation curves observed at large radii in the equatorial plane of disk galaxies can be explained as a manifestation of general relativity (GR) instead of the effect of dark matter (DM) halos. In this paper, by using the well-known weak-field, low-velocity gravitomagnetic formulation of GR, the expected rotation curves in GR are rigorously obtained for purely baryonic disk models with realistic density profiles and compared with the predictions of Newtonian gravity for the same disks in absence of DM. As expected, the resulting rotation curves are indistinguishable, with GR corrections at all radii of the order v 2/c 2 ≈ 10−6. Next, the gravitomagnetic Jeans equations for two-integral stellar systems are derived, and then solved for the Miyamoto–Nagai disk model, showing that finite-thickness effects do not change the previous conclusions. Therefore, the observed phenomenology of galactic rotation curves at large radii requires DM in GR exactly as in Newtonian gravity, unless the cases here explored are reconsidered in the full GR framework with substantially different results (with the surprising consequence that the weak-field approximation of GR cannot be applied to the study of rotating systems in the weak-field regime). In this article, the mathematical framework is described in detail, so that the present study can be extended to other disk models, or to elliptical galaxies (where DM is also required in Newtonian gravity, but their rotational support can be much less than in disk galaxies).

Impact of accretion disk on the gravitational wave profile emitted from binary merger

In the present work, we study the emission of the gravitational wave from the extreme mass ratio inspiral containing an accretion disk around the central compact object. The disk exerts a hydrodynamic drag on the companion black hole. The emitted gravitational wave from such systems may be modified due to the modified motion of the companion by the influence of the hydrodynamic drag of the disk. In the present work, we investigate this issue using full general relativistic formalism and calculate the possible error introduced in the estimation of the mass of the black holes.

General relativistic treatment of f -mode oscillations of hyperonic stars

We present a systematic study of $f$-mode oscillations in neutron stars containing hyperons, extending recent results obtained within the Cowling approximation to linearized general relativity. Employing a relativistic mean-field model, we find that the Cowling approximation can overestimate the quadrupolar $f$-mode frequency of neutron stars by up to 30% compared to the frequency obtained in the linearized general relativistic formalism. Imposing current astrophysical constraints, we derive updated empirical relations for gravitational wave asteroseismology. The frequency and damping time of quadrupole $f$-mode oscillations of hyperonic stars are found to be in the range of 1.47--2.45 kHz and 0.13--0.51 s, respectively. Our correlation studies demonstrate that among the various parameters of the nucleonic and hyperonic sectors of the model, the nucleon effective mass shows the strongest correlation with mode characteristics and neutron star observables. Estimates for the detectability of $f$ modes in a transient burst of gravitational waves from isolated hyperonic stars is also provided.

Coupling metric-affine gravity to a Higgs-like scalar field

General Relativity (GR) exists in different formulations. They are equivalent in pure gravity but generically lead to distinct predictions once matter is included. After a brief overview of various versions of GR, we focus on metric-affine gravity, which avoids any assumption about the vanishing of curvature, torsion or non-metricity. We use it to construct an action of a scalar field coupled non-minimally to gravity. It encompasses as special cases numerous previously studied models. Eliminating non-propagating degrees of freedom, we derive an equivalent theory in the metric formulation of GR. Finally, we give a brief outlook to implications for Higgs inflation.

Mass and spin of Kerr black holes in terms of observational quantities: The dragging effect on the redshift

In this work, we elaborate on the development of a general relativistic formalism that allows one to analytically express the mass and spin parameters of the Kerr black hole in terms of observational data: the total redshift and blueshift of photons emitted by massive geodesic particles revolving the black hole and their orbital parameters. Thus, we present concise closed formulas for the mass and spin parameters of the Kerr black hole in terms of few directly observed quantities in the case of equatorial circular orbits either when the black hole is static or is moving with respect to a distant observer. Furthermore, we incorporate the gravitational dragging effect generated by the rotating nature of the Kerr black hole into the analysis and elucidate its nontrivial contribution to the expression for the light bending parameter and the frequency shifts of photons emitted by orbiting particles that renders simple symmetric expressions for the kinematic redshift and blueshift. We also incorporate the dependency of the frequency shift on the azimuthal angle, a fact that allows one to express the total redshift/blueshift at any point of the orbit of the revolving particle for the cases when the black hole is both static or moving with respect to us. These formulas allow one to compute the Kerr black hole parameters by applying this general relativistic formalism to astrophysical systems like the megamaser accretion disks orbiting supermassive black holes at the core of active galactic nuclei. Our results open a new window to implement parameter estimation studies to constrain black hole variables, and they can be generalized to black hole solutions beyond Einstein's gravity.

Effective Actions for Regge Piecewise Flat Quantum Gravity

We review the construction of the path integral and the corresponding effective action for the Regge formulation of General Relativity under the assumption that the short-distance structure of the spacetime is not a smooth 4-manifold, but a piecewise linear manifold based on a triangulation of a smooth 4-manifold. We point out that the exponentially damped 4-volume path-integral measure does not give a finite path integral, although it can be used for the construction of the perturbative effective action. We modify the 4-volume measure by multiplying it by an inverse power of the product of the edge-lengths such that the new measure gives a finite path integral while it retains all the nice features of the unmodified measure.

Hamiltonian formalism of the Bianchi's models

Lately the Cosmic Background Radiation (CMB) data have resulted in anomalies or deviations with respect to the standard model of cosmology, which has led several cosmologists to consider alternative models to the standard model (homogeneous and isotropic), such as the Bianchi models, which are homogeneous but anisotropic. Based on these motivations to consider alternative models, we propose to study, in the present work, the algebraic classification of the Bianchi models and each of the Bianchi space-times, applying the ADM formalism of general relativity in its Hamiltonian version and the groups G3 . The dynamic equations are shown with the help of the Hamiltonian density H and the Poisson parentheses, in other words, the equations of motion are presented for each of the Bianchi space-times. Some theoretical consequences of these equations are discussed when we take the limit Ω → -∞ and the fixed parameters β + and β - , consequently, we find that the dependent part of the gravitational potential from the Hamiltonian Density tends to zero and from the equations of motion we find the constant of motion, pΩ = pβ+ = pβ- = constant .