Plane Wave Spacetimes Research Articles

Persistent gravitational wave observables: nonlinearities in (non-)geodesic deviation

Abstract The usual gravitational wave memory effect can be understood as a change in the separation of two initially comoving observers due to a burst of gravitational waves. Over the past few decades, a wide variety of other, ‘persistent’ observables which measure permanent effects on idealized detectors have been introduced, each probing distinct physical effects. These observables can be defined in (regions of) any spacetime where there exists a notion of radiation, such as perturbation theory off of a fixed background, nonlinear plane wave spacetimes, or asymptotically flat spacetimes. Many of the persistent observables defined in the literature have only been considered in asymptotically flat spacetimes, and the perturbative nature of such calculations has occasionally obscured deeper relationships between these observables that hold more generally. The goal of this paper is to show how these more general results arise, and to do so we focus on two observables related to the separation between two, potentially accelerated observers. The first is the curve deviation, which is a natural generalization of the displacement memory, and also contains what this paper proposes to call drift memory (previously called ‘subleading displacement memory’) and ballistic memory. The second is a relative proper time shift that arises between the two observers, either at second order in their initial separation and relative velocity, or in the presence of relative acceleration. The results of this paper are, where appropriate, entirely non-perturbative in the curvature of spacetime, and so could be used beyond leading order in asymptotically flat spacetimes.

Dynamics, quantum states and Compton scattering in nonlinear gravitational waves

The classical dynamics and the construction of quantum states in a plane wave curved spacetime are examined, paying particular attention to the similarities with the case of an electromagnetic plane wave in flat spacetime. A natural map connecting the dynamics of a particle in the Rosen metric and the motion of a charged particle in an electromagnetic plane wave is unveiled. We then discuss how this map can be translated into the quantum description by exploiting the large number of underlying symmetries. We examine the complete analogy between Volkov solutions and fermion states in the Rosen chart and properly extend this to massive vector bosons. We finally report the squared S-matrix element of Compton scattering in a sandwich plane wave spacetime in the form of a two-dimensional integral.

Wightman function and stochastic gravity noise kernel in impulsive plane wave spacetimes

Wightman function and stochastic gravity noise kernel in impulsive plane wave spacetimes

Quasinormal modes from Penrose limits

We use Penrose limits to approximate quasinormal modes (QNMs) with large real frequencies. The Penrose limit associates a plane wave to a region of spacetime near a null geodesic. This plane wave can be argued to geometrically realize the geometrical optics approximation. Therefore, when applied to the bound null orbits around black holes, the Penrose limit can be used to study QNMs. For instance, this Penrose limit point of view makes manifest the symmetry that emerges in the geometrical optics approximation of QNMs in terms of isometries of the resulting plane wave spacetime. We apply the procedure to warped , Schwarzschild black holes and Kerr black holes. In the former we show explicitly how the symmetry algebra contracts to that of the limiting plane wave while in the latter we find the expected agreement with numerically computed QNMs for large (real) frequencies.

Approximate Mei symmetries of pp-wave spacetimes

In this paper, first order approximate Mei symmetries of the geodetic Lagrangian for some classes of the pp-wave spacetimes are obtained. These classes of pp-wave spacetimes include plane wave spacetimes in which (i). H = α 2 x 2(ii). H = α x 2 u −2 (iii). H = α 2 x 2 u −4 and for pp-wave spacetimes (iv). H = α x n (where H is called scale factor and α is a constant). After that, approximate Mei invariants are calculated corresponding to each case.

Spin vector deviation and the gravitational wave memory effect between two free-falling gyroscopes in the plane wave spacetimes

In plane wave spacetimes, we find that there will be a precession angle deviation between two free-falling gyroscopes when gravitational waves passed through. This kind of angle deviation is closely related to the well-known standard velocity memory effect. Initial conditions such as the separation velocity or displacement between the two gyroscopes will affect this angle deviation. This result might be understood as a special relativistic consequence of the velocity memory. The evolutions of the angle deviation are calculated for different cases. We find that in some extreme circumstances, the angle deviation's order of magnitude produced by a rotating compact binary source could be ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}14}\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{rads}$. Therefore, this memory effect caused by the gravitational wave is likely to be detected in the future.

Global propagation of massive quantum fields in the plane gravitational waves and electromagnetic backgrounds

The behavior of massive quantum fields in the general plane wave spacetime and external, non-plane, electromagnetic waves is studied. The asymptotic conditions, the ‘in’ (‘out’) states and the cross sections are analysed. It is observed that, despite of the singularities encountered, the global form of these states can be obtained: at the singular points the Dirac delta-like behavior emerges and there is a discrete change of phase of the wave function after passing through each singular point. The relations between these phase corrections and local charts are discussed. Some examples of waves of infinite range (including the circularly polarized ones) are presented for which the explicit form of solutions can be obtained. All these results concern both the scalar as well as spin one-half fields; in latter case the change of the spin polarization after the general sandwich wave has passed is studied.

Quantum probing of null singularities

We adapt the dual-null foliation to the functional Schr\"odinger representation of quantum field theory and study the behavior of quantum probes in plane-wave space-times near the null-singularity. A comparison between the Einstein-Rosen and the Brinkmann patch, where the latter extends beyond the first, shows a seeming tension that can be resolved by comparing the configuration spaces. Our analysis concludes that Einstein-Rosen space-times support exclusively configurations with non-empty gravitational memory that are focussed to a set of measure zero in the focal plane with respect to a Brinkmann observer. To conclude, we provide a rough framework to estimate the qualitative influence of back-reactions on these results.

First-order velocity memory effect from compact binary coalescing sources

It has long been known that gravitational waves from compact binary coalescing sources are responsible for a first-order displacement memory effect experienced by a pair of freely falling test masses. This constant displacement is sourced from the non-vanishing final gravitational-wave strain present in the wave's after-zone, often referred to as the non-linear memory effect, and is of the same order of magnitude as the strain from the outgoing quadrupole radiation. Hence, this prediction of general relativity is verifiable experimentally by measurement of the final relative separation between test masses that comprise gravitational-wave detectors. In a separate context, independent calculations have demonstrated that exact, sandwich, plane wave spacetimes exhibit a velocity memory effect: a non-zero relative velocity, gained by a pair of test masses in free fall, after the passage of a gravitational wave. In this paper, we find that in addition to the known constant displacement memory effect test masses experience, a velocity memory effect at leading order arises due to the non-linear nature of gravitational waves from compact binary sources. We discuss the magnitude of the first-order velocity memory effect in the context of observing gravitational-wave radiation from super massive binary black hole mergers in LISA.

Persistent gravitational wave observables: Nonlinear plane wave spacetimes

In the first paper in this series, we introduced "persistent gravitational wave observables" as a framework for generalizing the gravitational wave memory effect. These observables are nonlocal in time and nonzero in the presence of gravitational radiation. We defined three specific examples of persistent observables: a generalization of geodesic deviation that allowed for arbitrary acceleration, a holonomy observable involving a closed curve, and an observable that can be measured using a spinning test particle. For linearized plane waves, we showed that our observables could be determined just from one, two, and three time integrals of the Riemann tensor along a central worldline, when the observers follow geodesics. In this paper, we compute these three persistent observables in nonlinear plane wave spacetimes, and we find that the fully nonlinear observables contain effects that differ qualitatively from the effects present in the observables at linear order. Many parts of these observables can be determined from two functions, the transverse Jacobi propagators, and their derivatives (for geodesic observers). These functions, at linear order in the spacetime curvature, reduce to the one, two, and three time integrals of the Riemann tensor mentioned above.

Geodesic congruences in exact plane wave spacetimes and the memory effect

Displacement and velocity memory effects in the exact, vacuum, plane gravitational wave line element have been studied recently by looking at the behaviour of pairs of geodesics or via geodesic deviation. Instead, one may investigate the evolution of geodesic congruences. In our work here, we obtain the evolution of the kinematic variables which characterise timelike geodesic congruences, using chosen pulse profiles (square and sech-squared) in the exact, plane gravitational wave line element. We also analyse the behaviour of geodesic congruences in possible physical scenarios describable using derivatives (first, second and third) of one of the chosen pulses. Beginning with a discussion on the generic behaviour of such congruences and consequences thereof, we find exact analytical expressions for shear and expansion with the two chosen pulse profiles. Qualitatively similar numerical results are noted when various derivatives of the sech-squared pulse are used. We conclude that for geodesic congruences, a growth (or decay) of shear causes focusing of an initially parallel congruence, after the departure of the pulse. A correlation between the `focusing time (or $u$ value, $u$ being the affine parameter)' and the amplitude of the pulse (or its derivatives) is found. Such features distinctly suggest a memory effect, named in recent literature as ${\cal B}$ memory.

Spin-1/2 and spin-3/2 field solutions in plane wave spacetimes

We have found two non-trivial massless Dirac and two massive Rarita-Schwinger solutions in plane wave spacetimes. The first order symmetry operator transforming one of the massless Dirac solution to the other is constructed. The only non-vanishing spinor bilinear generated by the standard spinor basis is obtained and algebraic relations between the induced parallel forms are demonstrated. It is also seen that the spin-3/2 norm of the Rarita-Schwinger solutions enforces to the massless sector.

A new twist on the geometry of gravitational plane waves

The geometry of twisted null geodesic congruences in gravitational plane wave spacetimes is explored, with special focus on homogeneous plane waves. The rôle of twist in the relation of the Rosen coordinates adapted to a null congruence with the fundamental Brinkmann coordinates is explained and a generalised form of the Rosen metric describing a gravitational plane wave is derived. The Killing vectors and isometry algebra of homogeneous plane waves (HPWs) are described in both Brinkmann and twisted Rosen form and used to demonstrate the coset space structure of HPWs. The van Vleck-Morette determinant for twisted congruences is evaluated in both Brinkmann and Rosen descriptions. The twisted null congruences of the Ozsváth-Schücking, ‘anti-Mach’ plane wave are investigated in detail. These developments provide the necessary geometric toolkit for future investigations of the rôle of twist in loop effects in quantum field theory in curved spacetime, where gravitational plane waves arise generically as Penrose limits; in string theory, where they are important as string backgrounds; and potentially in the detection of gravitational waves in astronomy.

Gravitational tension, spacetime pressure and black hole volume

We study the first law of black hole thermodynamics in the presence of surrounding gravitational fields and argue that variations of these fields are naturally incorporated in the first law by defining gravitational tension or gravitational binding energy. We demonstrate that this notion can also be applied in Anti-de Sitter spacetime, in which the surrounding gravitational field is sourced by a cosmological fluid, therefore showing that spacetime volume and gravitational tension encode the same physics as spacetime pressure and black hole volume. We furthermore show that it is possible to introduce a definition of spacetime pressure and black hole volume for any spacetime with characteristic length scales which does not necessarily require a cosmological constant sourcing Einstein equations. However, we show that black hole volume is non-universal in the flat spacetime limit, questioning its significance. We illustrate these ideas by studying the resulting black hole volume of Kaluza-Klein black holes and of a toy model for a black hole binary system in five spacetime dimensions (the black saturn solution) as well as of several novel perturbative black hole solutions. These include the higher-dimensional Kerr-Newman solution in Anti-de Sitter spacetime as well as other black holes in plane wave and Lifshitz spacetimes.

An Example of a Non-Trivial, Non-Self-Adjoint Huygens Differential Equation in Four Independent Variables

A family of non-trivial, essentially non-self-adjoint wave equations which satisfy Huygens' principle is given. It is constructed on a 4-dimensional Lorentzian space which is a product of two 2-dimensional spaces of constant curvature. Prior to this example, the only known non-trivial Huygens equation was the scalar wave equation on the exact plane wave spacetime as presented by Günther.

Unchanged direction motion in general relativity: The problems of prescribing acceleration and the extensibility of trajectories

The notion of unchanged direction (UD) motion in general relativity is introduced, extending widely the concept of uniformly accelerated motion. An observer which obeys an UD motion is characterized as a pointing future unit timelike curve with all its curvatures identically zero up to the first one. The initial value problem when the acceleration of the motion is prescribed is analysed. It is also studied that the completeness of inextensible UD motions, that can be physically interpreted saying that the observers which obey an UD motion lives forever. For certain spacetimes with relevant symmetries that includes the generalized Robertson-Walker spacetimes, a geometric approach leads to the completeness. On the other hand, a more analytical approach permits to prove completeness of inextensible UD motions in a plane wave spacetime.

Noether gauge symmetry classes for pp-wave spacetimes

The Noether gauge symmetries of geodesic Lagrangian for the pp-wave spacetimes are determined in each of the Noether gauge symmetry classes of the pp-wave spacetimes. It is shown that a type N pp-wave spacetime can admit at most three Noether gauge symmetry, and furthermore the number of Noether gauge symmetries turn out to be four, five, six, seven and eight. We found that all conformally flat plane wave spacetimes admit the maximal, i.e. 10, Noether gauge symmetry. Also it is found that if the pp-wave spacetime is non-conformally flat plane wave, then the number of Noether gauge symmetry is nine or 10. By means of the obtained Noether constants the search of the exact solutions of the geodesic equations for the pp-wave spacetimes is considered and we found new exact solutions of the geodesic equations in some special Noether gauge symmetry classes.

Blackfolds, plane waves and minimal surfaces

Abstract Minimal surfaces in Euclidean space provide examples of possible non-compact horizon geometries and topologies in asymptotically flat space-time. On the other hand, the existence of limiting surfaces in the space-time provides a simple mechanism for making these configurations compact. Limiting surfaces appear naturally in a given space-time by making minimal surfaces rotate but they are also inherent to plane wave or de Sitter space-times in which case minimal surfaces can be static and compact. We use the blackfold approach in order to scan for possible black hole horizon geometries and topologies in asymptotically flat, plane wave and de Sitter space-times. In the process we uncover several new configurations, such as black helicoids and catenoids, some of which have an asymptotically flat counterpart. In particular, we find that the ultraspinning regime of singly-spinning Myers-Perry black holes, described in terms of the simplest minimal surface (the plane), can be obtained as a limit of a black helicoid, suggesting that these two families of black holes are connected. We also show that minimal surfaces embedded in spheres rather than Euclidean space can be used to construct static compact horizons in asymptotically de Sitter space-times.

Lie and Noether symmetries in some classes of pp-wave spacetimes

We derive the Lie point symmetries of geodesic equations and and Noether gauge symmetries of the geodesic Lagrangian for some classes of pp-wave spacetimes. The considered classes of pp-wave spacetimes are the plane-wave spacetimes (i) , (ii) and (iii) , and a pp-wave spacetime (iv) , where H is the scale factor in pp-wave spacetime. We discuss the relations between the obtained Lie point and Noether gauge symmetry generators. We also calculate the first integrals in each of the cases, and give a solution of geodesic equations using those first integrals in case (i) as an example.

Numerical evolution of plane gravitational waves in the Friedrich-Nagy gauge

The first proof of well-posedness of an initial boundary value problem for the Einstein equations was given in 1999 by Friedrich and Nagy. They used a frame formalism with a particular gauge for formulating the equations. This `Friedrich-Nagy' (FN) gauge has never been implemented for use in numerical simulations before because it was deemed too complicated. In this paper we present an implementation of the FN gauge for systems with two commuting space-like Killing vectors. We investigate the numerical performance of this formulation for plane wave space-times, reproducing the well-known Khan-Penrose solution for colliding impulsive plane waves and exhibiting a gravitational wave `ping-pong'.