Akihiro Ishibashi

A Master Equation for Gravitational Perturbations of Maximally Symmetric Black Holes in Higher Dimensions

We show that in four or more spacetime dimensions, the Einstein equations for gravitational perturbations of maximally symmetric vacuum black holes can be reduced to a single second-order wave equation in a two-dimensional static spacetime, irrespective of the mode of perturbations. Our starting point is the gauge-invariant formalism for perturbations in an arbitrary number of dimensions developed by the present authors, and the variable for the final second-order master equation is given by a simple combination of gauge-invariant variables in this formalism. Our formulation applies to the case of non-vanishing as well as vanishing cosmological constant Λ. The sign of the sectional curvature K of each spatial section of equipotential surfaces is also kept general. In the four-dimensional Schwarzschild background with Λ = 0 and K = 1, the master equation for a scalar perturbation is identical to the Zerilli equation for the polar mode and the master equation for a vector perturbation is identical to the Regge-Wheeler equation for the axial mode. Furthermore, in the four-dimensional Schwarzschild-anti-de Sitter background with Λ< 0 and K =0 , 1, our equation coincides with those recently derived by Cardoso and Lemos. As a simple application, we prove the perturbative stability and uniqueness of four-dimensional non-extremal spherically symmetric black holes for any Λ. We also point out that there exists no simple relation between scalar-type and vector-type perturbations in higher dimensions, unlike in four dimension. Although in the present paper we treat only the case in which the horizon geometry is maximally symmetric, the final master equations are valid even when the horizon geometry is described by a generic Einstein manifold, if we employ an appropriate reinterpretation of the curvature K and the eigenvalues for harmonic tensors.

Stability of Higher-Dimensional Schwarzschild Black Holes

We investigate the classical stability of higher-dimensional Schwarzschild black holes with respect to linear perturbations in the framework of a gauge-invariant formalism for gravitational perturbations of maximally symmetric black holes. This formalism was recently developed by the present authors. The perturbations are classified into three types, those of tensor, vector and scalar modes, according to their tensorial behaviour on the spherical section of the background metric. The vector- and scalar-type modes correspond, respectively, to the axial and polar modes in the four-dimensional case. We show that for each mode of the perturbations, the spatial derivative part of the master equation is a positive, self-adjoint operator in the L 2 -Hilbert space, and hence that the master equation for each type of perturbation has no normalisable negative modes that would correspond to unstable solutions. In the same Schwarzschild background, we also analyse static perturbations of the scalar mode and show that there exists no static perturbation that is regular everywhere outside the event horizon and is well behaved at the spatial infinity. This confirms the uniqueness of the higher-dimensional spherically symmetric, static vacuum black hole, within the perturbation framework. Our strategy for treating the stability problem is also applicable to other higherdimensional maximally symmetric black holes with a non-vanishing cosmological constant. We show that all possible types of maximally symmetric black holes (including the higherdimensional Schwarzschild-de Sitter and Schwarzschild-anti-de Sitter black holes) are stable with respect to tensor and vector perturbations.

A Higher Dimensional Stationary Rotating Black Hole Must be Axisymmetric

A key result in the proof of black hole uniqueness in 4-dimensions is that a stationary black hole that is “rotating”—i.e., is such that the stationary Killing field is not everywhere normal to the horizon—must be axisymmetric. The proof of this result in 4-dimensions relies on the fact that the orbits of the stationary Killing field on the horizon have the property that they must return to the same null geodesic generator of the horizon after a certain period, P. This latter property follows, in turn, from the fact that the cross-sections of the horizon are two-dimensional spheres. However, in spacetimes of dimension greater than 4, it is no longer true that the orbits of the stationary Killing field on the horizon must return to the same null geodesic generator. In this paper, we prove that, nevertheless, a higher dimensional stationary black hole that is rotating must be axisymmetric. No assumptions are made concerning the topology of the horizon cross-sections other than that they are compact. However, we assume that the horizon is non-degenerate and, as in the 4-dimensional proof, that the spacetime is analytic.

Master Equations for Perturbations of Generalised Static Black Holes with Charge in Higher Dimensions

We extend the formulation for perturbations of maximally symmetric black holes in higher dimensions developed by the present authors in a previous paper to a charged black hole background whose horizon is described by an Einstein manifold. For charged black holes, perturbations of electromagnetic fields are coupled to the vector and scalar modes of metric perturbations non-trivially. We show that by taking appropriate combinations of gauge-invariant variables for these perturbations, the perturbation equations for the Einstein-Maxwell system are reduced to two decoupled second-order wave equations describing the behaviour of the electromagnetic mode and the gravitational mode, for any value of the cosmological constant. These wave equations are transformed into Schrodinger-type ODEs through a Fourier transformation with respect to time. Using these equations, we investigate the stability of generalised black holes with charge. We also give explicit expressions for the source terms of these master equations with application to the emission problem of gravitational waves in mind.

Dynamics in non-globally-hyperbolic static spacetimes: III. Anti-de Sitter spacetime

In recent years, there has been considerable interest in theories formulated in anti-de Sitter (AdS) spacetime. However, AdS spacetime fails to be globally hyperbolic, so a classical field satisfying a hyperbolic wave equation on AdS spacetime need not have a well-defined dynamics. Nevertheless, AdS spacetime is static, so the possible rules of dynamics for a field satisfying a linear wave equation are constrained by our previous general analysis—given in paper II—where it was shown that the possible choices of dynamics correspond to choices of positive, self-adjoint extensions of a certain differential operator, A. In the present paper, we reduce the analysis of electromagnetic and gravitational perturbations in AdS spacetime to scalar wave equations. We then apply our general results to analyse the possible dynamics of scalar, electromagnetic and gravitational perturbations in AdS spacetime. In AdS spacetime, the freedom (if any) in choosing self-adjoint extensions of A corresponds to the freedom (if any) in choosing suitable boundary conditions at infinity, so our analysis determines all the possible boundary conditions that can be imposed at infinity. In particular, we show that other boundary conditions besides the Dirichlet and Neumann conditions may be possible, depending on the value of the effective mass for scalar field perturbations, and depending on the number of spacetime dimensions and type of mode for electromagnetic and gravitational perturbations.

Counterterm charges generate bulk symmetries

We further explore the counterterm subtraction definition of charges (e.g., energy) for classical gravitating theories in spacetimes of relevance to gauge/gravity dualities; i.e., in asymptotically anti-de Sitter (AdS) spaces and their kin. In particular, we show in general that charges defined via the counterterm subtraction method generate the desired asymptotic symmetries. As a result, they can differ from any other such charges, such as those defined by bulk spacetime-covariant techniques, only by a function of auxiliary nondynamical structures such as a choice of conformal frame at infinity (i.e., a function of the boundary fields alone). Our argument is based on the Peierls bracket, and in the AdS context allows us to demonstrate the above result even for asymptotic symmetries which generate only conformal symmetries of the boundary (in the chosen conformal frame). We also generalize the counterterm subtraction construction of charges to the case in which additional nonvanishing boundary fields are present.

Asymptotic flatness and Bondi energy in higher dimensional gravity

We give a general geometric definition of asymptotic flatness at null infinity in d-dimensional general relativity (d even) within the framework of conformal infinity. Our definition is arrived at via an analysis of linear perturbations near null infinity and shown to be stable under such perturbations. The detailed falloff properties of the perturbations, as well as the gauge conditions that need to be imposed to make the perturbations regular at infinity, are qualitatively different in higher dimensions; in particular, the decay rate of a radiating solution at null infinity differs from that of a static solution in higher dimensions. The definition of asymptotic flatness in higher dimensions consequently also differs qualitatively from that in d=4. We then derive an expression for the generator conjugate to an asymptotic time translation symmetry for asymptotically flat space–times in d-dimensional general relativity (d even) within the Hamiltonian framework, making use especially of a formalism develop...

Dynamics in non-globally-hyperbolic static spacetimes: II. General analysis of prescriptions for dynamics

It was previously shown by one of us that in any static, non-globally-hyperbolic, spacetime, it is always possible to define a sensible dynamics for a Klein–Gordon scalar field. The prescription proposed for doing so involved viewing the spatial derivative part, A, of the wave operator as an operator on a certain L2 Hilbert space and then defining a positive, self-adjoint operator on by taking the Friedrichs extension (or other positive extension) of A. However, this analysis left open the possibility that there could be other inequivalent prescriptions of a completely different nature that might also yield satisfactory definitions of the dynamics of a scalar field. We show here that this is not the case. Specifically, we show that if the dynamics agrees locally with the dynamics defined by the wave equation, if it admits a suitable conserved energy and if it satisfies certain other specified conditions, then it must correspond to the dynamics defined by choosing some positive, self-adjoint extension of A on . Thus, subject to our requirements, the previously given prescription is the only possible way of defining the dynamics of a scalar field in a static, non-globally-hyperbolic, spacetime. In a subsequent paper, this result will be applied to the analysis of scalar, electromagnetic and gravitational perturbations of anti-de Sitter spacetime. By doing so, we will determine all possible choices of boundary conditions at infinity in anti-de Sitter spacetime that give rise to sensible dynamics.

On the Stability of Naked Singularities with Negative Mass

We study the linearised stability of the nakedly singular negative mass Schwarzschild solution against gravitational perturbations. There is a one parameter family of possible boundary conditions at the singularity. We give a precise criterion for stability depending on the boundary condition. We show that only one particular boundary condition gives perturbations of finite energy and show that the spacetime is stable with this boundary condition.

Topology and signature changes in braneworlds

It has been believed that topology and signature change of the universe can only happen accompanied by singularities, in classical, or instantons, in quantum, gravity. In this paper, we point out however that in the braneworld context, such an event can be understood as a classical, smooth event. We supply some explicit examples of such cases, starting from the Dirac–Born–Infeld action. Topology change of the brane universe can be realized by allowing self-intersecting branes. Signature change in a braneworld is made possible in an everywhere Lorentzian bulk spacetime. In our examples, the boundary of the signature change is a curvature singularity from the brane point of view, but nevertheless that event can be described in a completely smooth manner from the bulk point of view.