Twisting null geodesic congruences and the Einstein–Maxwell equations

DOI10.1088/0264-9381/23/1/005zbMATH Open1096.83012arXivgr-qc/0509086OpenAlexW3098920646MaRDI QIDQ3376118FDOQ3376118

Authors: Ezra T. Newman, Gilberto Silva-Ortigoza 

Publication date: 20 March 2006

Published in: Classical and Quantum Gravity (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: The purpose of the present work is to extend the earlier results for asymptotically flat vacuum space-times to asymptotically flat solutions of the Einstein-Maxwell equations. Once again, in this case, we get a class of asymptotically shear-free null geodesic congruences depending on a complex world-line in the same four-dimensional complex space. However in this case there will be, in general, two distinct but uniquely chosen world-lines. One of which can be assigned as the complex center-of- charge while the other could be called the complex center of mass. Rather than investigating the situation where there are two distinct complex world-lines, we study instead the special degenerate case where the two world-lines coincide, i.e., where there is a single unique world-line. This mimics the case of algebraically special Einstein-Maxwell fields where the degenerate principle null vector of the Weyl tensor coincides with a Maxwell principle null vector. Again we obtain equations of motion for this world-line - but explicitly found here only in an approximation. Though there are ambiguities in assigning physical meaning to different terms it appears as if reliance on the Kerr and charged Kerr metrics and classical electromagnetic radiation theory helps considerably in this identification. In addition, the resulting equations of motion appear to have many of the properties of a particle with intrinsic spin and an intrinsic magnetic dipole moment. At first order there is even the classical radiation-reaction term 2/3{q^{2}}{c^{-3}}ddot{v}, now obtained without any use of the Lorentz force law but obtained directly from the asymptotic fields themselves. One even sees the possible suppression, via the Bondi mass loss, of the classical runaway solutions due to the radiation reaction force.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/0509086

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zbMATH Keywords

Einstein-Maxwell equationsKerr metricnull geodesic congruencesBondi shearcomplex worldline

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Equations of motion in general relativity and gravitational theory (83C10) Einstein-Maxwell equations (83C22) Spinor and twistor methods in general relativity and gravitational theory; Newman-Penrose formalism (83C60)

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• Motions and worldline deviations in Einstein-Maxwell theory
• Electromagnetic dipole radiation fields, shear-free congruences and complex centre of charge world lines
• The Newman–Penrose formalism in higher dimensions: vacuum spacetimes with a non-twisting geodetic multiple Weyl aligned null direction
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