Invariants of the Kerr vacuum (Q1420845)

The Kerr vacuum has two independent invariants \(\mathcal W={Wa^6}/{48m^2}\) and \(^\ast\mathcal W={^\ast Wa^6}/{96m^2}\), where \(W\) and \(^\ast W\) are equivalent to the real and imaginary parts of the complex Weyl scalar in spinor notation. The author examines each in detail in order to avoid an erroneous conclusion that the ring singularity is in any sense `directional'. Whereas there exist trajectories (albeit non-geodesic) along which \(\mathcal W\) or \(^\ast\mathcal W\) do not diverge in the limit \(x\to0\), \(\theta\to\pi/2\) (in terms of the familiar Boyer-Lindquist coordinates), there exists no trajectory along which both \(\mathcal W\) and \(^\ast\mathcal W\) remain finite in this limit. In this sense the singularity of the Kerr vacuum is not directional.