Hamiltonian dynamics of Lovelock black holes with spherical symmetry

We consider spherically symmetric black holes in generic Lovelock gravity. Using geometrodynamical variables we do a complete Hamiltonian analysis, including derivation of the super-Hamiltonian and super-momentum constraints and verification of suitable boundary conditions for asymptotically flat black holes. Our analysis leads to a remarkably simple fully reduced Hamiltonian for the vacuum gravitational sector that provides the starting point for the quantization of Lovelock block holes. Finally, we derive the completely reduced equations of motion for the collapse of a spherically symmetric charged, self-gravitating complex scalar field in generalized flat slice (Painlev\'{e}-Gullstrand) coordinates.Comment: 53 pages, including two major appendices; some typos fixed; version published in CQ

Higher Dimensional Choptuik Scaling in Painleve Gullstrand Coordinates

We investigate Choptuik scaling in the spherically symmetric collapse of a massless scalar field in higher dimensions using Painleve-Gullstrand (P-G) coordinates. Our analysis confirms the presence in higher dimensions of the cusps in the periodic scaling relationship recently observed in four dimensional collapse. In addition, we address the issue of the asymptotic behaviour of the critical exponent as the number of spacetime dimensions gets large. Our results are consistent with earlier work suggesting that the critical exponent monotonically approaches 1/2 in this limit.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figure

Quantum Mechanics of the Interior of Radiating 2-D Black Holes

We study the homogeneous sector of the RST model describing the gravitational dynamics, including back-reaction, of radiating 2-d black holes. We find the exact solutions both in conformal gauge and in time-parametrized form, isolate the black hole sector of the classical phase space and quantize the near singularity dynamics in conformal gauge. We show that different choices of measure and different self-adjoint extensions can lead to inequivalent quantum theories, all of which resolve the singularity. For a specific range of extension parameters, the Hamiltonian spectrum admits bound states that correspond physically to stable remnants. Finally, we argue that our work provides a good starting point for quantization of the full homogeneous theory using both reduced and Dirac quantization

Integrability of the Einstein-nonlinear SU(2)SU(2) σ\sigma-model in a nontrivial topological sector

The integrability of the\ $\Lambda-$Einstein-nonlinear $SU(2)$ $\sigma$-model with nonvanishing cosmological charge is studied. We apply the method of singularity analysis of differential equations and we show that the equations for the gravitational field are integrable. The first few terms of the solution are presented.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, published at EPJ

Cosmological Einstein-Skyrme solutions with non-vanishing topological charge

Time-dependent analytic solutions of the Einstein-Skyrme system --gravitating Skyrmions--, with topological charge one are analyzed in detail. In particular, the question of whether these Skyrmions reach a spherically symmetric configuration for $t\rightarrow+\infty$ is discussed. It is shown that there is a static, spherically symmetric solution described by the Ermakov-Pinney system, which is fully integrable by algebraic methods. For $\Lambda>0$ this spherically symmetric solution is found to be in a "neutral equilibrium" under small deformations, in the sense that under a small squashing it would neither blow up nor dissapear after a long time, but it would remain finite forever (plastic deformation). Thus, in a sense, the coupling with Einstein gravity spontaneously breaks the spherical symmetry of the solution. However, in spite of the lack of isotropy, for $t \to\infty$ (and $\Lambda>0$) the space time is locally flat and the anisotropy of the Skyrmion only reflects the squashing of spacetime.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.