In this paper we study the motion of photons or massless particles in the C-metric with cosmological constant. The Hamilton--Jacobi equations are known to be completely separable, giving a Carter-like quantity $Q$ which is a constant of motion. All possible trajectories are classified according to a two-dimensional parameter space representing the particle's angular momentum and energy scaled in units of $Q$. Exact solutions are given in the C-metric coordinates in terms of Jacobi elliptic functions. Using the exact solutions, we find examples of periodic orbits on the photon surface.
We show that the extreme six-dimensional black string admits a conformal isometry under inversion. Duality relations between null geodesics of various brane geometries are demonstrated, some of which have a geometrical origin through an optical metric.
We have studied the null geodesics of the Schwarzschild black hole surrounded by quintessence matter. Quintessence matter is a candidate for dark energy. Here, we have done a detailed analysis of the geodesics and exact solutions are presented in terms of Jacobi-elliptic integrals for all possible energy and angular momentum of the photons. The circular orbits of the photons are studied in detail. As an application of the null geodesics, the angle of deflection of the photons are computed.
In this paper, we investigate the null geodesics of the static charged black hole in heterotic string theory. A detailed analysis of the geodesics are done in the Einstein frame as well as in the string frame. In the Einstein frame, the geodesics are solved exactly in terms of the Jacobi-elliptic integrals for all possible energy levels and angular momentum of the photons. In the string frame, the geodesics are presented for the circular orbits. As a physical application of the null geodesics, we have obtained the angle of deflection for the photons and the quasinormal modes of a massless scal…
In this work, we present an extensive dynamical analysis of the null geodesics in the spacetimes proposed by Casadio, Fabbri, and Mazzacurati (CFM), which model black holes and wormholes in a Randall-Sundrum brane. Geodesic stability is evaluated by Lyapunov and Jacobi criteria, with coinciding results. Semistable photon spheres are found in the geometries of interest. Bifurcations associated with the dynamical system are also investigated, characterizing a degenerated Bogdanov-Takens bifurcation. Our results suggest deep connections between the geometric characteristics of the CFM spacetimes …
In this work we address the study of null geodesics in the background of Reissner-Nordström Anti de Sitter black holes. We compute the exact trajectories in terms of elliptic functions of Weierstrass, obtaining a detailed description of the orbits in terms of charge, mass and the cosmological constant. The trajectories of the photon are classified using the impact parameter.
In [arXiv:0803.3259] the equations describing the parallel transport of orthonormal frames along timelike (spacelike) geodesics in a spacetime admitting a non-degenerate principal conformal Killing-Yano 2-form h were solved. The construction employed is based on studying the Darboux subspaces of the 2-form F obtained as a projection of h along the geodesic trajectory. In this paper we demonstrate that, although slightly modified, a similar construction is possible also in the case of null geodesics. In particular, we explicitly construct the parallel-transported frames along null geodesics in …
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 …
We present the complete family of higher dimensional spacetimes that admit a geodesic, shearfree, twistfree and expanding null congruence, thus extending the well-known D=4 class of Robinson-Trautman solutions. Einstein's equations are solved for empty space with an arbitrary cosmological constant and for aligned pure radiation. Main differences with respect to the D=4 case (such as the absence of type III/N solutions, related to ``violations'' of the Goldberg-Sachs theorem in D>4) are pointed out, also in connection with other recent works. A formal analogy with electromagnetic fields is brie…
We study the null geodesics in a static circularly symmetric (SCS) black hole spacetime which is a solution in the $(2+1)$-dimensional massive gravity proposed by Bergshoeff, Hohm and Townsend (BHT massive gravity). We obtain analytic solutions for the null geodesic equation in the SCS black hole background and find the explicit form of deflection angles. We see that for various values of the impact parameter, the deflection angle can be positive, negative or even zero in this black hole spacetime. The negative deflection angle indicates the repulsive behavior of the gravity which comes from t…
The time-like and null-like geodesics around compact objects are some of the best tools to classify and understand the structure of a space-time. In this paper, we study the null geodesics around charged static dilaton black holes in Einstein-Maxwell-dilaton gravity. The physical parameters for non-radial geodesics including the effective potential, effective force, radius of the photon sphere and impact parameter are obtained and effects of the charge parameter and dilaton coupling constant on these quantities are studied. Possible photon motions for different values of the impact parameter a…
Null geodesics, quasinormal modes of a massless scalar field perturbation and the correspondence with shadow radii are investigated in the background spacetime of high-dimensional Einstein-Yang-Mills black holes. Based on the properties of null geodesics, we obtain the connection between the radius of a photon sphere and the radius of a horizon in the five- and six-dimensional Einstein-Yang-Mills spacetimes. Especially in the five-dimensional case, there exist two branches for the radius of a photon sphere, but only the branch outside the event horizon satisfies the condition of circular null …
We study optical metrics via null geodesics as a central force system, deduce the related Binet equation and apply the analysis to certain solutions of Einstein's equations with and without spherical symmetry. A general formula for the deflection angle in the weak lensing regime for the Schwarzschild-Tangherlini (ST) metric is derived. In addition, we obtain a new weak lensing formula for the deflection angle on the equatorial plane of a Kerr black hole (BH). We also explore the bending of light by considering the gravitational objects described by the Tomimatsu-Sato (TS) metric.
We study null geodesic congruences (NGCs) in the presence of spacetime torsion, recovering and extending results in the literature. Only the highest spin irreducible component of torsion gives a proper acceleration with respect to metric NGCs, but at the same time obstructs abreastness of the geodesics. This means that it is necessary to follow the evolution of the drift term in the optical equations, and not just shear, twist and expansion. We show how the optical equations depend on the non-Riemannian components of the curvature, and how they reduce to the metric ones when the highest spin c…
A positive mass theorem for General Relativity Theory is proved. The proof is 4-dimensional in nature, and relies completely on arguments pertaining to causal structure, the basic idea being that positive energy-density focuses null geodesics, and correspondingly retards them, whereas a negative total mass would advance them. Because it is not concerned with what lies behind horizons, this new theorem applies in some situations not covered by previous positivity theorems. Also, because geodesic focusing is a global condition, the proof might allow a generalisation to semi-classical gravity, ev…
The study of the motion of photons around massive bodies is one of the most useful tools to know the geodesic structure associated with said gravitational source. In the present work, different possible paths projected in an invariant hyperplane are investigated, considering five-dimensional Reissner-Nordström anti-de Sitter black hole. Also, we study some observational test such as the bending of light and the Shapiro time delay effect. Mainly, we found that the motion of photons follows the hippopede of Proclus geodesic, which is a new type of trajectory of second kind, being the Limaçon of …
The null geodesic equation in the Kerr spacetime can be expressed as a set of integral equations involving certain potentials. We classify the roots of these potentials and express the integrals in manifestly real Legendre elliptic form. We then solve the equations using Jacobi elliptic functions, providing the complete set of null geodesics of the Kerr exterior as explicit parameterized curves.
Important classes of null geodesics and hidden symmetries in the Sen black hole are investigated. First, we obtain the principal null geodesics and circular photon orbits. Then, an irreducible rank-two Killing tensor and a conformal Killing tensor are derived, which represent the hidden symmetries. Analyzing the properties of Killing tensors, we clarify why the Hamilton-Jacobi and wave equations are separable in this spacetime. We also investigate the gravitational capture of photons by the Sen black hole and compare the result with those by the various charged/rotating black holes and naked s…
The role of the wandering null geodesic is studied in a black hole spacetime. Based on the continuity of the solution of the geodesic equation, the wandering null geodesics commonly exist and explain the typical phenomena of the optical observation of event horizons. Moreover, a new concept of `black room' is investigated to relate the wandering null geodesic to the black hole shadow more closely.
In Phys. Rev. D 79, 064016 (2009) it was claimed that quasinormal modes which any stationary, spherically symmetric and asymptotically flat black hole emits in the eikonal regime are determined by the parameters of the circular null geodesic: the real and imaginary parts of the quasinormal mode are multiples of the frequency and instability timescale of the circular null geodesics respectively. We shall consider asymptotically flat black hole in the Einstein-Lovelock theory, find analytical expressions for gravitational quasinormal modes in the eikonal regime and analyze the null geodesics. Co…
In this article we describe the formulation of null geodesics as null conformal geodesics and their description in the tractor formalism. A conformal extension theorem through an isotropic singularity is proven by requiring the boundedness of the tractor curvature and its derivatives to sufficient order along a congruence of null conformal geodesic. This article extends earlier work by Tod and Luebbe.
We study geometric structures associated with shear-free null geodesic congruences in Minkowski space-time and asymptotically shear-free null geodesic congruences in asymptotically flat space-times. We show how in both the flat and asymptotically flat settings, complexified future null infinity acts as a "holographic screen," interpolating between two dual descriptions of the null geodesic congruence. One description constructs a complex null geodesic congruence in a complex space-time whose source is a complex world-line; a virtual source as viewed from the holographic screen. This complex nu…
In classical spacetime null geodesics give information on where free massless particles travel. In quantum spacetime where quantum indefiniteness renders spacetime fuzzy null geodesics as sharp trajectories cannot be retained. We propose a "tendency postulate" that gives information on where free massless objects tend to travel based exclusively on meaningful notions in quantum spacetime. It says that free massless objects tend to trace large quantum causal fluctuations. We implement the tendency postulate in concrete models of quantum spacetime that describe causal fluctuation. The tendency p…
The well-known duality between quasinormal modes of any stationary, spherically symmetric and asymptotically flat or de Sitter black hole and parameters of the circular null geodesic was initially claimed for gravitational and test field perturbations. According to this duality the real and imaginary parts of the $\ell \gg n$ quasinormal mode (where $\ell$ and $n$ are multipole and overtone numbers respectively) are multiples of the frequency and instability timescale of the circular null geodesics respectively. Later it was shown that the duality is guaranteed only for test fields and may be …
Recently, an analytical study of radial and circular orbits for null and time-like geodesics that propagate in the spacetime produced by a Schwarzschild black hole associated with cloud of strings, in a universe filled by quintessence, has been done in Ref. \cite{Mustafa:2021}. In this paper, we complete the aforementioned study by investigating possible analytical solutions to the equations of motion for other types of bound orbits, besides taking into account the cases of unbound orbits. This requires an extensive study of the corresponding effective potentials that categorize the test parti…
The quasinormal mode frequencies can be understood from the massless particles trapped at the unstable circular null geodesics and slowly leaking out to infinity. Base on this viewpoint, in this paper, we construct the quantum entropy spectrum of the stationary black holes from the null geodesics using the new physical interpretation of the quasinormal mode frequencies proposed by Maggiore. Following this idea, we calculate the spacing of the entropy spectrum for various types of black holes with or without the charge and spin in any dimension $d$ of the spacetime. The result shows that the sp…
In this paper we focus on analytical calculations involving null geodesics in some spherically symmetric spacetimes. We use Weierstrass elliptic functions to fully describe null geodesics in Schwarzschild spacetime and to derive analytical formulae connecting the values of radial distance at different points along the geodesic. We then study the properties of light triangles in Schwarzschild spacetime and give the expansion of the deflection angle to the second order in both $M/r_0$ and $M/b$ where $M$ is the mass of the black hole, $r_0$ the distance of closest approach of the light ray and $…
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.
Einstein-matter theories in which hairy black-hole configurations have been found are studied. We prove that the nontrivial behavior of the hair must extend beyond the null circular orbit (the photonsphere) of the corresponding spacetime. We further conjecture that the region above the photonsphere contains at least 50% of the total hair's mass. We support this conjecture with analytical and numerical results.
Extremely compact objects containing a region of trapped null geodesics could be of astrophysical relevance due to trapping of neutrinos with consequent impact on cooling processes or trapping of gravitational waves. These objects have previously been studied under the assumption of spherical symmetry. In the present paper, we consider a simple generalization by studying trapping of null geodesics in the framework of the Hartle-Thorne slow-rotation approximation taken to first order in the angular velocity, and considering a uniform-density object with uniform emissivity for the null geodesics…
We show that positivity of energy for stationary, or strongly uniformly Schwarzschildian, asymptotically flat, non-singular domains of outer communications can be proved using Galloway's null rigidity theorem.
The theory of Schwarzschild geodesics is revisited. Basing on a result by Weierstrass and Biermann, we derive a formula describing all non radial, timelike and null trajectories in terms of Weierstrass elliptic functions. Quite remarkably, a single formula works for an entire geodesic trajectory, even if it passes through turning points. Using this formula, we derive expressions for the proper and coordinate time along the geodesic.
The averaged null energy condition (ANEC) requires that the integral over a complete null geodesic of the stress-energy tensor projected onto the geodesic tangent vector is never negative. This condition is sufficient to prove many important theorems in general relativity, but it is violated by quantum fields in curved spacetime. However there is a weaker condition, which is free of known violations, requiring only that there is no self-consistent space-time in semiclassical gravity in which ANEC is violated on a complete, {\em achronal} null geodesic. We indicate why such a condition might be…
Space-times admitting a shear-free, irrotational, geodesic null congruence are studied. Attention is focused on those space-times in which the gravitational field is a combination of a perfect fluid and null radiation.
We perform a complete rho-integration of the GHP equations for all spacetimes that admit a geodesic shear-free expanding null congruence, whose Ricci spinor is aligned to the congruence and whose Ricci scalar is constant. We also deduce the system of GHP equations after the integration is completed, and discuss a few applications.
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 analyze the null geodesics of regular black holes. A detailed analysis of geodesic structure both null geodesics and time-like geodesics have been investigated for the said black hole. As an application of null geodecics, we calculate the radius of photon sphere and gravitational bending of light. We also study the shadow of the black hole spacetime. Moreover, we determine the relation between radius of photon sphere~$(r_{ps})$ and the shadow observed by a distance observer. Furthermore, We discus the effect of various parameters on the radius of shadow $R_s$. Also we compute the angle of d…
A new sufficient condition for photons emitted near future null infinity to reach future null infinity is derived by studying null geodesics in the Bondi coordinates in asymptotically flat spacetimes. In our previous works [arXiv:2106.03150, arXiv:2110.10917], such a condition was established for photons emitted in outward or tangential directions to constant radial surfaces. This paper improves our previous result by including photons emitted in inward directions. In four dimensions, imposing the same assumptions on the metric functions as previously, we prove that photons reach future null i…
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 study the properties of the null geodesics of four-dimensional Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet black holes surrounded by quintessence matter. Due to the quintessence correction, we discuss the radial and non-radial geodesics. For the case of non-radial geodesics we obtain the effective potential, the photon sphere and the impact parameter associated to the null geodesics in details. We analyze the different possible orbits of massless particles (i.e. photons) such as unstable circular orbits and unbounded orbits and investigate the role of the Gauss-Bonnet coupling $α$ and the quintessence parameter …
The paper deals with an extensive study of null and timelike geodesics in the background of wormhole geometries. Starting with a spherically symmetric spacetime, null geodesics are analyzed for the Morris-Thorne wormhole(WH) and photon spheres are examined in WH geometries. Both bounded and unbounded orbits are discussed for timelike geodesics. A similar analysis has been done for trajectories in a dynamic spherically symmetric WH and for a rotating WH. Finally, the invariant angle method of Rindler and Ishak has been used to calculate the angle between radial and tangential vectors at any poi…
Bearing in mind our previous study on asymptotic behavior of null geodesics near future null infinity, we analyze the behavior of geometrical quantities such as a certain extrinsic curvature and Riemann tensor in the Bondi coordinates. In the sense of asymptotics, the condition for an $r$-constant hypersurface to be a photon surface is shown to be controlled by a key quantity that determines the fate of photons initially emitted in angular directions. As a consequence, in four dimensions, such a non-expanding photon surface can be realized even near future null infinity in the presence of enor…
The issue of the local visibility of the shell-focussing singularity in marginally bound spherical dust collapse is considered from the point of view of the existence of future-directed null geodesics with angular momentum which emanate from the singularity. The initial data (i.e. the initial density profile) at the onset of collapse is taken to be of class $C^3$. Simple necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of a naked singularity are derived in terms of the data. It is shown that there exist future-directed non-radial null geodesics emanating from the singularity if and only i…
In this article we extend a recent theorem proven by Hod (Phys. Lett. B, {\bf 727}, 345--348, 2013) to $n$-dimensional Einstein and Einstein-Gauss-Bonnet theories, which gives an upper bound for the photon sphere radii of spherically symmetric black holes. As applications of these results we give a universal upper bound for the real part of quasinormal modes in the WKB limit and a universal lower bound for the position of the first relativistic image in the strong lensing regime produced by these type of black holes. For the axially-symmetric case, we also make some general comments (independe…
Region of trapped null geodesics hidden inside of extremely compact objects is of astrophysical importance because of trapping of gravitational waves, or neutrinos. The trapping effect of null geodesics was extensively studied for spherically symmetric extremely compact objects. Recently, influence of rotation of the extremely compact objects on the trapping of null geodesics was treated in the simplest possible model of internal linearised \mbox{Hartle--Thorne} spacetime with uniform energy density distribution and uniform emissivity distribution of null geodesics. Here we extend the study of…
For a static and spherically symmetric black hole, a photon sphere is composed of circular null geodesics of fixed radius, and plays an important role in observing the black hole. Recently, in an Einstein-Maxwell-scalar model with a non-minimal coupling between the scalar and electromagnetic fields, a class of hairy black holes has been found to possess two unstable and one stable circular null geodesics on the equatorial plane, corresponding to three photon spheres outside the event horizon. In this paper, we study quasinormal modes of the scalar field, which are associated with these circula…
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.
We present dynamical properties of linear waves and null geodesics valid for Kerr and Kerr-de Sitter black holes and their stationary perturbations. The two are intimately linked by the geometric optics approximation. For the nullgeodesic flow the key property is the r-normal hyperbolicity of the trapped set and for linear waves it is the distribution of quasi-normal modes: the exact quantization conditions do not hold for perturbations but the bounds on decay rates and the statistics of frequencies are still valid.
We investigate the geometry of a particular class of null surfaces in space-time called vacuum Non-Expanding Horizons (NEHs). Using the spin-coefficient equation, we provide a complete description of the horizon geometry, as well as fixing a canonical choice of null tetrad and coordinates on a NEH. By looking for particular classes of null geodesic congruences which live exterior to NEHs but have the special property that their shear vanishes at the intersection with the horizon, a good cut formalism for NEHs is developed which closely mirrors asymptotic theory. In particular, we show that suc…
A direct and more general calculation of the limb effect connected with red-shift observations is obtained. Result agrees completely, in its general form, with that obtained from observations of the solar spectra but with different value for the maximum effect.
