Spherical Gravitating Systems of Arbitrary Dimension

We study spherically symmetric solutions to the Einstein field equations under the assumption that the space-time may possess an arbitrary number of spatial dimensions. The general solution of Synge is extended to describe systems of any dimension. Arbitrary dimension analogues of known four dimensional solutions are also presented, derived using the above scheme. Finally, we discuss the requirements for the existence of Birkhoff's theorems in space-times of arbitrary dimension with or without matter fields present. Cases are discussed where the assumptions of the theorem are considerably weakened yet the theorem still holds. We also discuss where the weakening of certain conditions may cause the theorem to fail.Comment: 14 pages with one fugure. Uses AMS fonts and Prog. Theor. Phys. style files. Added section on neutron star and anisotropic fluid star as well as Comments on Buchdahl's theorem and more analysis regarding the Birkhoff's theorem. Accepted for publication in Prog. Theor. Phy

Gravitational Effects of Quantum Fields in the Interior of a Cylindrical Black Hole

The gravitational back-reaction is calculated for the conformally invariant scalar field within a black cosmic string interior with cosmological constant. Using the perturbed metric, the gravitational effects of the quantum field are calculated. It is found that the perturbations initially strengthen the singularity. This effect is similar to the case of spherical symmetry (without cosmological constant). This indicates that the behaviour of quantum effects may be universal and not dependent on the geometry of the spacetime nor the presence of a non-zero cosmological constant.Comment: 13 pages, 1 figure, uses AMS package. D.E. solution corrected. Some qualitative results are change

The Evolution of Λ\Lambda Black Holes in the Mini-Superspace Approximation of Loop Quantum Gravity

Using the improved quantization technique to the mini-superspace approximation of loop quantum gravity, we study the evolution of black holes supported by a cosmological constant. The addition of a cosmological constant allows for classical solutions with planar, cylindrical, toroidal and higher genus black holes. Here we study the quantum analog of these space-times. In all scenarios studied, the singularity present in the classical counter-part is avoided in the quantized version and is replaced by a bounce, and in the late evolution, a series of less severe bounces. Interestingly, although there are differences during the evolution between the various symmetries and topologies, the evolution on the other side of the bounce asymptotes to space-times of Nariai-type, with the exception of the planar black hole analyzed here, whose $T$-$R$=constant subspaces seem to continue expanding in the long term evolution. For the other cases, Nariai-type universes are attractors in the quantum evolution, albeit with different parameters. We study here the quantum evolution of each symmetry in detail.Comment: 26 pages, 7 figures.V2 has typos corrected, references added, and a more careful analysis of the planar case. Accepted for publication in Physical Review

Thin-shell wormholes in d-dimensional general relativity: Solutions, properties, and stability

We construct thin-shell electrically charged wormholes in d-dimensional general relativity with a cosmological constant. The wormholes constructed can have different throat geometries, namely, spherical, planar and hyperbolic. Unlike the spherical geometry, the planar and hyperbolic geometries allow for different topologies and in addition can be interpreted as higher-dimensional domain walls or branes connecting two universes. In the construction we use the cut-and-paste procedure by joining together two identical vacuum spacetime solutions. Properties such as the null energy condition and geodesics are studied. A linear stability analysis around the static solutions is carried out. A general result for stability is obtained from which previous results are recovered.Comment: 16 pages, 1 figur

Energy conditions, traversable wormholes and dust shells

Firstly, we review the pointwise and averaged energy conditions, the quantum inequality and the notion of the ``volume integral quantifier'', which provides a measure of the ``total amount'' of energy condition violating matter. Secondly, we present a specific metric of a spherically symmetric traversable wormhole in the presence of a generic cosmological constant, verifying that the null and the averaged null energy conditions are violated, as was to be expected. Thirdly, a pressureless dust shell is constructed around the interior wormhole spacetime by matching the latter geometry to a unique vacuum exterior solution. In order to further minimize the usage of exotic matter, we then find regions where the surface energy density is positive, thereby satisfying all of the energy conditions at the junction surface. An equation governing the behavior of the radial pressure across the junction surface is also deduced. Lastly, taking advantage of the construction, specific dimensions of the wormhole, namely, the throat radius and the junction interface radius, and estimates of the total traversal time and maximum velocity of an observer journeying through the wormhole, are also found by imposing the traversability conditions.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, Revtex