Jan Steinhoff

New insights on the matter-gravity coupling paradigm.

The coupling between matter and gravity in general relativity is given by a proportionality relation between the stress tensor and the geometry. This is an oriented assumption driven by the fact that both the stress tensor and the Einstein tensor are divergenceless. However, general relativity is in essence a nonlinear theory, so there is no obvious reason why the coupling to matter should be linear. On another hand, modified theories of gravity usually affect the vacuum dynamics, yet keep the coupling to matter linear. In this Letter, we address the implications of consistent nonlinear gravity-matter coupling. The Eddington-inspired Born-Infeld theory recently introduced by Bañados and Ferreira provides an enlightening realization of such coupling modifications. We find that this theory coupled to a perfect fluid reduces to general relativity coupled to a nonlinearly modified perfect fluid, leading to an ambiguity between modified coupling and modified equation of state. We discuss observational consequences of this degeneracy and argue that such a completion of general relativity is viable from both an experimental and theoretical point of view through energy conditions, consistency, and singularity-avoidance perspectives. We use these results to discuss the impact of changing the coupling paradigm.

Next-to-leading order gravitational spin(1)-spin(2) dynamics in Hamiltonian form

Based on recent developments by the authors a next-to-leading order spin(1)-spin(2) Hamiltonian is derived for the first time. The result is obtained within the canonical formalism of Arnowitt, Deser, and Misner (ADM) utilizing their generalized isotropic coordinates. A comparison with other methods is given.

Spin-squared Hamiltonian of next-to-leading order gravitational interaction

The static, i.e., linear momentum independent, part of the next-to-leading order (NLO) gravitational spin(1)-spin(1) interaction Hamiltonian within the post-Newtonian (PN) approximation is calculated from a three-dimensional covariant ansatz for the Hamilton constraint. All coefficients in this ansatz can be uniquely fixed for black holes. The resulting Hamiltonian fits into the canonical formalism of Arnowitt, Deser, and Misner (ADM) and is given in their transverse-traceless (ADMTT) gauge. This completes the recent result for the momentum dependent part of the NLO spin(1)-spin(1) ADM Hamiltonian for binary black holes (BBH). Thus, all PN NLO effects up to quadratic order in spin for BBH are now given in Hamiltonian form in the ADMTT gauge. The equations of motion resulting from this Hamiltonian are an important step toward more accurate calculations of templates for gravitational waves.

Canonical formulation of spin in general relativity

The present article aims at an extension of the canonical formalism of Arnowitt, Deser, and Misner from self-gravitating point-masses to objects with spin. This would allow interesting applications, e.g., within the post-Newtonian (PN) approximation. The extension succeeded via an action approach to linear order in the single spins of the objects without restriction to any further approximation. An order-by-order construction within the PN approximation is possible and performed to the formal 3.5PN order as a verification. In principle both approaches are applicable to higher orders in spin. The PN next-to-leading order spin(1)-spin(1) level was tackled, modeling the spin-induced quadrupole deformation by a single parameter. All spin-dependent Hamiltonians for rapidly rotating bodies up to and including 3PN are calculated.

The reduced Hamiltonian for next-to-leading-order spin-squared dynamics of general compact binaries

Within the post-Newtonian framework the fully reduced Hamiltonian (i.e. with eliminated spin supplementary condition) for the next-to-leading-order spin-squared dynamics of general compact binaries is presented. The Hamiltonian is applicable to the spin dynamics of all kinds of binaries with self-gravitating components such as black holes and/or neutron stars taking into account spin-induced quadrupolar deformation effects in second post-Newtonian order perturbation theory of Einsteins field equations. The corresponding equations of motion for spin, position and momentum variables are given in terms of canonical Poisson brackets. Comparison with a nonreduced potential calculated within the effective field theory approach is made.

Canonical formulation of self-gravitating spinning-object systems

Based on the Arnowitt-Deser-Misner (ADM) canonical formulation of general relativity, a canonical formulation of gravitationally interacting classical spinning-object systems is given to linear order in spin. The constructed position, linear momentum and spin variables fulfill standard Poisson bracket relations. A spatially symmetric time gauge for the tetrad field is introduced. The achieved formulation is of fully reduced form without unresolved constraints, supplementary, gauge, or coordinate conditions. The canonical field momentum is not related to the extrinsic curvature of space-like hypersurfaces in standard ADM form. A new reduction of the tetrad degrees of freedom to the Einstein form of the metric field is suggested.

Multipolar equations of motion for extended test bodies in general relativity

We derive the equations of motion of an extended test body in the context of Einsteins theory of gravitation. The equations of motion are obtained via a multipolar approximation method and are given up to the quadrupolar order. Special emphasis is put on the explicit construction of the so-called canonical form of the energy-momentum density. The set of gravitational multipolar moments and the corresponding equations of motion allow for a systematic comparison to competing multipolar approximation schemes.

Next‐to‐next‐to‐leading order post‐Newtonian spin(1)‐spin(2) Hamiltonian for self‐gravitating binaries

We present the next-to-next-to-leading order post-Newtonian (PN) spin-orbit Hamiltonian for two self-gravitating spinning compact objects. If at least one of the objects is rapidly rotating, then the corresponding interaction is comparable in strength to a 3.5PN effect. The result in the present paper in fact completes the knowledge of the post-Newtonian Hamiltonian for binary spinning black holes up to and including 3.5PN. The Hamiltonian is checked via known results for the test-spin case and via the global Poincare algebra with the center-of-mass vector uniquely determined by an ansatz.

Leading order finite size effects with spins for inspiralling compact binaries

A bstractThe leading order finite size effects due to spin, namely that of the cubic and quartic in spin interactions, are derived for the first time for generic compact binaries via the effective field theory for gravitating spinning objects. These corrections enter at the third and a half and fourth post-Newtonian orders, respectively, for rapidly rotating compact objects. Hence, we complete the leading order finite size effects with spin up to the fourth post-Newtonian accuracy. We arrive at this by augmenting the point particle effective action with new higher dimensional nonminimal coupling worldline operators, involving higher-order derivatives of the gravitational field, and introducing new Wilson coefficients, corresponding to constants, which describe the octupole and hexadecapole deformations of the object due to spin. These Wilson coefficients are fixed to unity in the black hole case. The nonminimal coupling worldline operators enter the action with the electric and magnetic components of the Weyl tensor of even and odd parity, coupled to even and odd worldline spin tensors, respectively. Moreover, the non relativistic gravitational field decomposition, which we employ, demonstrates a coupling hierarchy of the gravito-magnetic vector and the Newtonian scalar, to the odd and even in spin operators, respectively, which extends that of minimal coupling. This observation is useful for the construction of the Feynman diagrams, and provides an instructive analogy between the leading order spin-orbit and cubic in spin interactions, and between the leading order quadratic and quartic in spin interactions.

I-Q relation for rapidly rotating neutron stars

We consider a universal relation between moment of inertia and quadrupole moment of arbitrarily fast rotating neutron stars. Recent studies suggest that this relation breaks down for fast rotation. We find that it is still universal among various suggested equations of state for constant values of certain dimensionless parameters characterizing the magnitude of rotation. One of these parameters includes the neutron star radius, leading to a new universal relation expressing the radius through the mass, frequency, and spin parameter. This can become a powerful tool for radius measurements.