The linearised general conformal field equations in their first and second order form are used to study the behaviour of the spin-2 zero-rest-mass equation on Minkowski background in the vicinity of space-like infinity.
We build the general conformally invariant linear wave operator for a free, symmetric, second-rank tensor field in a d-dimensional ($dgeqslant 2$) metric manifold, and explicit the special case of maximally symmetric spaces. Under the assumptions made, this conformally invariant wave operator is unique. The corresponding conformally invariant wave equation can be obtained from a Lagrangian which is explicitly given. We discuss how our result compares to previous works, in particular we hope to clarify the situation between conflicting results.
We study the solutions of the Dirac equation in the background of the Nutku helicoid metric. This metric has curvature singularities, which necessitates imposing a boundary to exclude this point. We use the Atiyah-Patodi-Singer non local spectral boundary conditions for both the four and the five dimensional manifolds.
We analyze the Abraham-Minkowski problem known from classical electrodynamics from two different perspectives. First, we follow a formal approach, implying use of manifolds with curved space sections in accordance with Fermats principle, emphasizing that the resulting covariant and contravariant components of the photon four-momentum is a property linked to the {it Minkowski} theory only. There is thus no link to the Abraham theory in that context. Next we turn to the experimental side, giving a brief account of older and newer radiation pressure experiments that clearly show how the Minkowski photon momentum is preferable under optical conditions. Under low-frequency conditions, where experimental detection of the individual oscillations predicted by the Abraham term are possible, the picture is however quite different.
It is known that the perturbative instability of tensor excitations in higher derivative gravity may not take place if the initial frequency of the gravitational waves are below the Planck threshold. One can assume that this is a natural requirement if the cosmological background is sufficiently mild, since in this case the situation is qualitatively close to the free gravitational wave in flat space. Here, we explore the opposite situation and consider the effect of a very far from Minkowski radiation-dominated or de Sitter cosmological background with a large Hubble rate, e.g., typical of an inflationary period. It turns out that, then, for initial Planckian or even trans-Planckian frequencies, the instability is rapidly suppressed by the very fast expansion of the universe.
The Jacobi equation for geodesic deviation describes finite size effects due to the gravitational tidal forces. In this paper we show how one can integrate the Jacobi equation in any spacetime admitting completely integrable geodesics. Namely, by linearizing the geodesic equation and its conserved charges, we arrive at the invariant Wronskians for the Jacobi system that are linear in the `deviation momenta and thus yield a system of first-order differential equations that can be integrated. The procedure is illustrated on an example of a rotating black hole spacetime described by the Kerr geometry and its higher-dimensional generalizations. A number of related topics, including the phase space formulation of the theory and the derivation of the covariant Hamiltonian for the Jacobi system are also discussed.