A field theory on a three-dimensional manifold is introduced, whose field equations are the constraint equations for general relativity on a three-dimensional null hypersurface. The underlying boundary action consists of two copies of the dressed Chern-Simons term for self-dual Ashtekar variables, a kinetic term for the null flag at the boundary plus additional junction conditions for the spin coefficients across the interface. In fact, there is a doubling of the field content, because the null hypersurface will be considered as an internal boundary between two adjacent slabs of spacetime. The paper concludes with a proposal for a construction of the gravitational transition amplitudes in the bulk via the auxiliary boundary field theory alone, namely by gluing amplitudes for edge states across two-dimensional corners, thus providing a proposal for a quasi-local realisation of the holographic principle at the light front.
In this paper, we revisit the null boundary gravitational charge in the Newman-Penrose formalism with special emphasis on the charges from local Lorentz transformations. We find that there is one more charge derived from the local Lorentz transformation and the new charge is purely from the Holst term. This reveals a remarkable fact that trivial terms which do not change classical equations of motion can not only affect the boundary degrees of freedom through their contributions to the boundary charges but also have their own rights to create new boundary degrees of freedom.
We investigate the behavior of null geodesics near future null infinity in asymptotically flat spacetimes. In particular, we focus on the asymptotic behavior of null geodesics that correspond to worldlines of photons initially emitted in the directions tangential to the constant radial surfaces in the Bondi coordinates. The analysis is performed for general dimensions, and the difference between the four-dimensional cases and the higher-dimensional cases is stressed. In four dimensions, some assumptions are required to guarantee the null geodesics to reach future null infinity, in addition to …
The Einstein-Hilbert Lagrangian has no well-defined variational derivative with respect to the metric. This issue has to be tackled by adding a suitable surface term to the action, which is a peculiar feature of gravity. We also know that null surfaces in spacetime exhibit (observer-dependent) thermodynamic features. This suggests a possible thermodynamic interpretation of the boundary term when the boundary is a null surface. For timelike/spacelike surfaces it is easy to construct the boundary term but there are some subtleties in the case of the null surface. The correct form of boundary ter…
We analyze the null geodesic equations in five dimensional spherically symmetric spacetime with collapsing inhomogeneous dust cloud. By using a new method, we prove the existence and non-existence of solutions to null geodesic equation emanating from central singularity for smooth initial distribution of dust. Moreover, we also show that the null geodesics can extend to null infinity in a certain case, which imply the violation of cosmic censorship conjecture.
We present a complete discussion of the boundary term in the action functional of general relativity when the boundary includes null segments in addition to the more usual timelike and spacelike segments. We confirm that ambiguities appear in the contribution from a null segment, because it depends on an arbitrary choice of parametrization for the generators. We also show that similar ambiguities appear in the contribution from a codimension-two surface at which a null segment is joined to another (spacelike, timelike, or null) segment. The parametrization ambiguity can be tamed by insisting t…
Previous work has demonstrated that the gravitational field equations in all Lanczos-Lovelock models imply a thermodynamic identity TdS=dE+PdV (where the variations are interpreted as changes due to virtual displacement along the affine parameter) in the near-horizon limit in static spacetimes. Here we generalize this result to any arbitrary null surface in an arbitrary spacetime and show that certain components of the Einstein's equations can be expressed in the form of the above thermodynamic identity. We also obtain an explicit expression for the thermodynamic energy associated with the nul…
I describe the Schwarzian behavior of the gravitational field at null infinity under superrotations, to be understood as an \textit{unobservable} gauge artifact. To this end I review the induced geometry of null infinity and the construction of the gauge-invariant News tensor that characterizes gravitational radiation. I discuss potentially important implications for the celestial holography program, suggesting in particular that the uplift of the AdS$_3$/CFT$_2$ correspondence directly relates to the unobservable gauge sector.
We revisit the covariant phase space formalism applied to gravitational theories with null boundaries, utilizing the most general boundary conditions consistent with a fixed null normal. To fix the ambiguity inherent in the Wald-Zoupas definition of quasilocal charges, we propose a new principle, based on holographic reasoning, that the flux be of Dirichlet form. This also produces an expression for the analog of the Brown-York stress tensor on the null surface. Defining the algebra of charges using the Barnich-Troessaert bracket for open subsystems, we give a general formula for the central -…
A scheme of an optical detector is proposed for checking Einsteins equivalence principle (EEP) in a null gravitational redshift experiment and for testing methods for calculating the length of a resonator in a weak variable gravitational field by recording the variations of the difference frequency of resonators caused by lunisolar variations of the geopotential in a double or a two-resonator laser system.
Quadratic curvature gravity equations are projected to a complex null coframe by using the algebra of exterior forms and expressed in terms of the spinor quantities defined originally by Newman and Penrose. As an application, a new family of impulsive gravitational wave solutions propagating in various type D backgrounds is introduced.
We study gravitational collapse of the general spherically symmetric null strange quark fluid having the equation of state, $p = (ρ- 4B)/n$, where $B$ is the bag constant. An interesting feature that emerges is that the initial data set giving rise to naked singularity in the Vaidya collapse of null fluid gets covered due to the presence of strange quark matter component. Its implication to the Cosmic Censorship Conjecture is discussed.
New exact vacuum solutions with various singularities in the plane-symmetric spacetime are shown, and they are applied to the analysis of inhomogeneous cosmological models and colliding gravitational waves. One of the singularities can be true null singularities, whose existence was locally clarified by Ori. These solutions may be interesting from the viewpoint of the variety of cosmological singularities and the instability problem of Cauchy horizons inside black holes.
We study the gravitational collapse of a rotating cylindrical null shell with flat interior and the metric of a spinning cosmic string as the exterior. We see that there is a critical radius, where the energy density of the shell vanishes and beyond which it would be negative, thereby signaling that the matching would be unphysical.
An exact, plane wave solution of the gravitational field equations is investigated. The source stress tensor is represented by an anisotropic null fluid with energy flux to which the energy density $ρ$ and all pressures are finite throughout the spacetime. They depend on a constant length (taken of the order of the Planck length) and acquire Planck values close to the null surface $t - z = 0$, the $z$-axis being the direction of propagation. The timelike geodesics of a test particle are contained in a plane whose normal has constant direction and the null trajectories are comoving with a plane…
We first obtain the analogue of Vaidya's solution on the brane for studying the collapse of null fluid onto a flat Minkowski cavity on the brane. Since the back-reaction of the bulk onto the brane is supposed to strengthen gravity on the brane, it would favour formation of black hole as against naked singularity. That is the parameter window in the initial data set giving rise to naked singularity in the 4D Vaidya case would now get partially covered.
A method for detecting gravitational memory is proposed. It makes use of ingoing null geodesics instead of timelike geodesics in the original formulation by Christodoulou. It is argued that the method is applicable in the bulk of a spacetime. In addition, it is shown that BMS symmetry generators in Newman-Unti gauge have an interpretation in terms of the memory effect. This generalises the connection between BMS supertranslations and gravitational memory, discovered by Strominger and Zhiboedov at null infinity, to the bulk.
We study strong gravitational lensing in a static, spherically symmetric, naked singularity spacetime, without a photon sphere. The nature of the singularity is found to be lightlike. We discuss the characteristic lensing features of this naked singularity in the strong deflection limit. In spite of the absence of a photon sphere in this spacetime, the bending angle of light diverges, as it approaches the singularity. However, unlike black holes, it is found that the nature of this divergence is nonlogarithmic, and we derive an analytic formula for the same. Moreover, the relativistic rings pr…
We find an exact solution in dimensionally continued gravity in arbitrary dimensions which describes the gravitational collapse of a null dust fluid. Considering the situation that a null dust fluid injects into the initially anti-de Sitter spacetime, we show that a naked singularity can be formed. In even dimensions, a massless ingoing null naked singularity emerges. In odd dimensions, meanwhile, a massive timelike naked singularity forms. These naked singularities can be globally naked if the ingoing null dust fluid is switched off at a finite time; the resulting spacetime is static and asym…
To answer a question of how can one observed angular momentum radiation near null infinity, one can first transform the dynamical twisting vacuum solution and make it satisfy Bondi coordinate conditions in the asymptotical region of the null infinity. We then obtain the Bondi-Sachs news function and also find the relationship of how does the angular momentum contribute to the news functions from the exact solution sense. By using the Komar's integral of angular momentum, the gravitational angular momentum flux of the dynamical twisting space-time can be obtained. All of our results can be comp…
Using the Brown-York prescription for the definition of quasilocal gravitational energy-momentum tensor on a boundary and also complete canonical structure on a null boundary which has been found recently \cite{Aghapour:2018icu}, we propose a similar stress tensor on the null boundary. Then we exploit this stress tensor to compute the quasi-local energy and angular momentum for some well-known gravitational solutions. We have found that in addition to reference spacetime method for regularizing total energy, in the case of null boundary we can add a possible counterterm so avoiding embedding d…
It is known that the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) temperature fluctuations are modified by gravitational lensing since the angular positions of photons are altered by the metric perturbations. We reconsider this effect in the context of geodesic deviation on a perturbed Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW) spacetime with scalar and tensor modes. We first give an alternative derivation of the Sachs-Wolfe effect by using the solutions of the null geodesic equation. Then, we determine the two-dimensional induced metric on the transverse cross section of the null geodesic congruence corresponding…
We study gravitational perturbations of Schwarzschild spacetime by solving a hyperboloidal initial value problem for the Bardeen-Press equation. Compactification along hyperboloidal surfaces in a scri-fixing gauge allows us to have access to the gravitational waveform at null infinity in a general setup. We argue that this hyperboloidal approach leads to a more accurate and efficient calculation of the radiation signal than the common approach where a timelike outer boundary is introduced. The method can be generalized to study perturbations of Kerr spacetime using the Teukolsky equation.
We conjecture an extension of the fluid/gravity correspondence to the null pressureless fluid case via gravitational shockwave solutions, and use it to propose an embedding of the fluid Hopfion in gravity. A nonlinear gravitational "helicity" is also proposed, analogous with the helicity of electromagnetism and fluid dynamics.
We derive an expression for the expansion of outgoing null geodesics in spherical dust collapse and compute the limiting value of the expansion in the approach to singularity formation. An analogous expression is derived for the spherical collapse of a general form of matter. We argue on the basis of these results that the covered as well as the naked singularity solutions arising in spherical dust collapse are stable under small changes in the equation of state.
Carroll-Cotton Tensors and Gravitational Radiation at Null Infinity
École polytechnique, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique – Unité Mixte de Recherche 7644, Institut Polytechnique de Paris（巴黎综合理工学院，法国国家科学研究中心联合研究单位7644，巴黎理工学院）；Université Libre de Bruxelles and International Solvay Institutes（布鲁塞尔自由大学和国际索尔维研究所）；International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA)（高级国际研究学院（SISSA））；Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN), Sezione di Trieste（意大利国家核物理研究所的里雅斯特分部）；Université de Mons（蒙斯大学）
Our understanding of observed Gravitational Waves (GWs) comes from matching data to known signal models describing General Relativity (GR). These models, expressed in the post-Newtonian formalism, contain the mathematical constant $π$. Allowing $π$ to vary thus enables a strong, universal and generalisable null test of GR. From a population of 22 GW observations, we make an astrophysical measurement of $π=3.115^{+0.048}_{-0.088}$, and prefer GR as the correct theory of gravity with a Bayes factor of 321. We find the variable $π$ test robust against simulated beyond-GR effects.
The exact metric of a moving Kerr black hole with an arbitrary constant velocity is derived in Kerr-Schild coordinates. We then calculate the null equatorial gravitational deflection caused by a radially moving Kerr source up to the second post-Minkowskian order, acting as an application of the weak field limit of the metric. The bending angle of light is found to be consistent with the result given in the previous works.
In this article, we present a gravitational collapse null dust solution of the Einstein field equations. The spacetime is regular everywhere except on the symmetry axis where it possesses a naked curvature singularity, and admits one parameter isometry group, a generator of axial symmetry along the cylinder which has closed orbits. The space- time admits closed timelike curves (CTCs) which develop at some particular moment in a causally well-behaved manner and may represent a Cosmic Time Machine. The radial geodesics near to the singularity, and the gravitational Lensing (GL) will be discussed…
Primordial null energy condition (NEC) violation would imprint a blue-tilted spectrum on gravitational wave background (GWB). However, its implications on the GWB might be far richer than expected. We present a scenario, in which after a slow-roll (NEC-preserving) inflation with Hubble parameter $H\simeq H_{inf1}$, the Universe goes through an NEC-violating period and then enters subsequent slow-roll inflation with a higher $H$ ($=H_{inf2}\gg H_{inf1}$). The resulting primordial gravitational wave spectrum is nearly flat at the cosmic microwave background band, as well as at the frequency $f\s…
Gravitational Memory Beyond Null Infinity through Finite-Distance Carrollian Screens
Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad San Sebastián（圣塞巴斯蒂安大学工程学院）；Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo（滑铁卢大学物理与天文学系）；Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics（理论物理前沿研究所）；Departamento de Física, Universidad de Concepción（康塞普西翁大学物理系）
The emergent gravity paradigm interprets gravitational field equations as describing the thermodynamic limit of the underlying statistical mechanics of microscopic degrees of freedom of the spacetime. The connection is established by attributing a heat density Ts to the null surfaces where T is the appropriate Davies-Unruh temperature and s is the entropy density. The field equations can be obtained from a thermodynamic variational principle which extremizes the total heat density of all null surfaces. The explicit form of s determines the nature of the theory. We explore the consequences of t…
The tidal effects generated by a nonlinear gravitational wave are investigated in double-null v - u coordinates, as an exact solution of Einstein's field equations. The components $ξ^{v}$ and $ξ^{u}$ of the separation vector behave as in flat space but the transversal components $ξ^{x}$ and $ξ^{y}$ depend nonlinearly on $v$ through the Bessel and Neumann functions, far from the null surface $v = 0$. We show that the same results are obtained by means of the tetrad formalism.
BMS+ transformations act nontrivially on outgoing gravitational scattering data while preserving intrinsic structure at future null infinity (I+). BMS- transformations similarly act on ingoing data at past null infinity (I-). In this paper we apply - within a suitable finite neighborhood of the Minkowski vacuum - results of Christodoulou and Klainerman to link I+ to I- and thereby identify "diagonal" elements BMS0 of (BMS+)X(BMS-). We argue that BMS0 is a nontrivial infinite-dimensional symmetry of both classical gravitational scattering and the quantum gravity S-matrix. It implies the conserv…
In this paper, the null geodesics and gravitational lensing in a nonsingular spacetime are investigated. According to the nature of the null geodesics, the spacetime is divided into several cases. In the weak deflection limit, we find the influence of the nonsingularity parameter $q$ on the positions and magnifications of the images is negligible. In the strong deflection limit, the coefficients and observables for the gravitational lensing in a nonsingular black hole background and a weakly nonsingular spacetime are obtained. Comparing these results, we find that, in a weakly nonsingular spac…
We find a purely gravitational classical solution of M-theory/eleven-dimensional supergravity which corresponds to a solution of the E10 brane sigma-model involving a null root. This solution is not supersymmetric and is regularly embedded into E11.
We study the light rays in a static and spherically symmetric gravitational field of null aether theory (NAT). To this end, we employ the Gauss-Bonnet theorem to compute the deflection angle by a NAT black hole in the weak limit approximation. Using the optical metrics of the NAT black hole, we first obtain the Gaussian curvature and then calculate the leading terms of the deflection angle. Our calculations show how gravitational lensing is affected by the NAT field. We also show once again that the bending of light stems from a global and topological effect.
Vacuum gravitational fields admitting a light-like Killing field were systematically studied starting around 1960. Besides the already known plane waves, a second class of gravitational wave fields was found. In contrast to plane waves, their wave surfaces were not flat, but had a negative Gaussian curvature. Recently, such solutions found attention again as "twisted gravitational waves". In the paper we review and extend the earlier results. In suitable coordinates, the metric assumes a simple shape. The waves are then determined by a single function that satisfies a Laplace equation in cylin…
A novel criterion to determine the presence of gravitational radiation arriving to, or departing from, null infinity of any weakly asymptotically-simple space-time with vanishing cosmological constant is given. The quantities involved are geometric, of tidal nature, with good gauge behaviour and univocally defined at null infinity. The relationship with the classical characterisation using the News tensor is analysed in detail. A new balance law at infinity is presented, which may be useful to define `radiation states'.
The membrane paradigm displays underlying connections between a timelike stretched horizon and a null boundary (such as a black hole horizon) and bridges the gravitational dynamics of the horizon with fluid dynamics. In this work, we revisit the membrane viewpoint of a finite distance null boundary and present a unified geometrical treatment to the stretched horizon and the null boundary based on the rigging technique of hypersurfaces. This allows us to provide a unified geometrical description of null and timelike hypersurfaces, which resolves the singularity of the null limit appearing in th…
A violation of the null energy condition (NEC) during inflation in a single-field inflation model will naturally enhance the amplitude of the parity violation effect (defined by $Δχ$) of inflationary primordial gravitational waves (GWs), provided the inflaton is non-minimally coupled to a gravitational Chern-Simons term. After going through the NEC-violating phase, the Universe enters subsequent slow-roll inflation with a higher energy scale (i.e., a greater Hubble parameter $H$), which results in an enhanced nearly scale-invariant power spectrum (i.e., $P_{\rm T}$) of inflationary primordial …
We consider the end state of collapsing null radiation with a string fluid. It is shown that, if diffusive transport is assumed for the string, that a naked singularity can form (at least locally). The model has the advantage of not being asymptotically flat. We also analyse the case of a radiation-string two-fluid and show that a locally naked singularity can result in the collapse of such matter. We contrast this model with that of strange quark matter.
The geometry of twisted null geodesic congruences in gravitational plane wave spacetimes is explored, with special focus on homogeneous plane waves. The role 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 det…
We examine a simple example of gravitational wave memory due to the decay of a point particle into two point particles. In the case where one of the decay products is null, there are two types of memory: a null memory due to the null particle and an ordinary memory due to the recoiling timelike particle. In the case where both decay products are timelike, there is only ordinary memory. However, this ordinary memory can mimic the null memory in the limit where one of the decay products has a large velocity.
Light cones of Schwarzschild geometry are studied in connection to the Null Surface Formulation and gravitational lensing. The paper studies the light cone cut function's singularity structure, gives exact gravitational lensing equations, and shows that the "pseudo-Minkowski" coordinates are well defined within the model considered.
We carry out a study of the exterior of an axially and reflection symmetric source of gravitational radiation. The exterior of such a source is filled with a null fluid produced by the dissipative processes inherent to the emission of gravitational radiation, thereby representing a generalization of the Vaidya metric for axially and reflection symmetric spacetimes. The role of the vorticity, and its relationship with the presence of gravitational radiation is put in evidence. The spherically symmetric case (Vaidya) is, asymptotically, recovered within the context of the $1+3$ formalism.
