Boundary value problems for the stationary axisymmetric Einstein equations: a disk rotating around a black hole (Q543377)

The author of this interesting paper considers a class of boundary value problems for stationary axisymmetric Einstein equations involving a disk rotating around a central black hole. The metric in this model has the Weyl-Lewis-Papapetrou form \[ ds^2=e^{-2U}[e^{2k}(d\rho^2+d\zeta^2)+\rho^2d\varphi^2]-e^{2U}(dt+ad\varphi )^2, \] where \(\rho \geq 0\) and \(\zeta\in\mathbb{R}\) are Weyl's canonical coordinates and \(t,\varphi \) are chosen so that the vector fields \(\partial_t\) and \(\partial_{\varphi }\) are commuting asymptotically timelike and spacelike Killing vectors, respectively. The metric functions \(e^{2U}, a,e^{2k}\) depend on \(\rho ,\zeta \) alone. After introducing the complex-valued Ernst potential \(f=e^{2U}+ib\) (\(b\) is a real-valued potential) it can be shown that the Einstein field equations reduce to the Ernst equation in the form \[ \tfrac{1}{2}(f+\overline{f}) \;(f_{\rho\rho }+f_{\zeta\zeta }+\rho^{-1}f_{\rho })=f_{\rho }^2+f_{\zeta }^2 , \] which is a nonlinear partial differential equation (PDE) with \(\rho >0\), \(\zeta \in \mathbb R \). The real part of \(f\) is denoted by \(e^{2U}\). The boundary value problem (BVP) is formulated for the Ernst equation in the exterior of a finite disk \({\mathcal{D}}\subset \mathbb{C}\) of radius \(\rho_0>0\) such that \(f(z)=\overline{f(\overline{z})}\) (equatorial symmetry), \(f(z)\to 1\) as \(|z|^2\to \infty \) (asymptotic flatness), \(\partial f/\partial\rho (i\zeta )=0\) for all \(|\zeta |>r_1\) (regularity on the rotation axis), also the boundary condition on the disk \(f_{\Omega }(\rho \pm i0)=e^{2U_{\Omega }(+i0)}\) for \(0<\rho < \rho_0\) (\(\Omega \) angular velocity), and the boundary condition on the horizon \(e^{2U_{\Omega_k}(i\zeta )}=0\) for \(0<|\zeta |<r_1\). This BVP is solved by an interesting method as the solutions are given explicitly in terms of theta functions on a family of hyperelliptic Riemann surfaces of genus 4. In the absence of a disk, they reduce to the Kerr black hole. In the absence of a black hole, they reduce to the Neugebauer-Meinel disk.