What are the effects on a stationary observer for Kerr metric?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the effects of a Kerr Black Hole on a stationary observer located at a specific distance from the black hole. Participants explore various physical phenomena such as time dilation, tidal forces, gravitational acceleration, and escape velocity, specifically in the context of the Kerr metric. The conversation involves deriving relevant formulas and understanding the complexities introduced by the black hole's rotation.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Mathematical reasoning
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant presents the formulas for time dilation, tidal force, gravitational acceleration, and escape velocity, seeking to derive them from the Kerr metric.
  • Another participant confirms that time dilation can be derived from the ##g_{tt}## component of the Kerr metric, but notes that the tidal force requires computation from the Riemann tensor components, specifically ##R^r_{trt}##.
  • There is a suggestion that the gravitational acceleration for a static observer is more complex in Kerr spacetime compared to Schwarzschild spacetime, involving the inverse metric component ##g^{rr}##.
  • Participants discuss the implications of the observer's position, particularly whether they are in the equatorial plane, which simplifies some calculations.
  • There is confusion regarding the use of metric components and their inverses, with participants clarifying the distinction between ##g_{tt}## and ##g^{rr}##.
  • One participant expresses difficulty in obtaining correct results even for the Schwarzschild metric, indicating potential misunderstandings in the application of the formulas.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the need to derive the quantities from the Kerr metric, but there is disagreement and confusion regarding the specific calculations and interpretations of the metric components. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the correct application of the formulas and the implications of the Kerr metric.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include potential misunderstandings of the metric notation and the complexity of deriving certain quantities in Kerr spacetime compared to Schwarzschild spacetime. The discussion also highlights the dependence on the observer's position, particularly the angle ##\theta##.

  • #31
PAllen said:
Yes, which I then contrasted to Kerr.
Ok. I'll see if I can find a more detailed analysis for Schwarzschild spacetime (I'm pretty sure I've seen one in the past that my remarks in this thread are based on), or cobble together one myself if I can't find one.
 
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  • #32
Vick said:
So what exactly is the math operation to be done here: Do I just multiply the relevant Connection component with what?
I specifically used the word "contraction". Do you understand what that is? It's a basic operation in tensor calculus, and a basic familiarity with tensor calculus is essential to do calculations in GR.
 
  • #33
PeterDonis said:
Ok. I'll see if I can find a more detailed analysis for Schwarzschild spacetime (I'm pretty sure I've seen one in the past that my remarks in this thread are based on), or cobble together one myself if I can't find one.
Don't bother unless you want to. I convinced myself from analyzing the Newtonian case that my 'limiting intuition' was wrong, and that if a velocity is directed in a possible escape direction, then the escape speed is not dependent on direction. The photon sphere is then analogous to a Newtonian direction choice that fails because the trajectory would hit the planet (after possibly a partial orbit). But as long as the direction is a possible escape direction, the initial escape speed required is independent of direction. I am convinced this would carry over to the Shwarzschild case.
 
  • #34
PAllen said:
I am convinced this would carry over to the Shwarzschild case.
This was what I remembered reading somewhere, but unfortunately I haven't been able to dig up the reference--that the Newtonian result carries over to Schwarzschild, with the proviso that in Schwarzschild the directions are more limited (in the Newtonian case any free-fall trajectory in any direction at escape velocity that doesn't actually hit the central mass will escape, but in Schwarzschild the possible escape directions form a narrower and narrower angle around radially outward as ##r = 2M## is approached).

For the Schwarzschild case there is a fairly simple intuitive argument for the result: that an escape trajectory corresponds to one with energy at infinity per unit rest mass equal to one (i.e., energy at infinity exactly equal to rest mass), and energy at infinity per unit mass is given by ##E = \left( 1 - 2M / r \right) \left( dt / d\tau \right)##. That means that ##dt / d\tau## for an escape orbit depends only on ##r##, and since ##dt / d\tau## is the same as the gamma factor of the escape orbit relative to a static observer, that gamma factor (and therefore the escape velocity relative to a static observer) can only depend on ##r##.

An analogous argument for the Kerr case shows that the escape velocity, depends on both ##\theta## and the direction of the orbit, as well as ##r##.
 
  • #35
For the Tidal force, I think that the Weyl Tensor is a better component than the Riemann one. The latter is computing the change on the volume of object, whereas the former is computing on the distortion of the shape of object, which is a rather closer definition to my 2nd question. (the component is the Weyl Tensor with valence (0,4) ##C_{0,1,1,0}## )

For the escape velocity, I do think that this particular formula works for all; I tested it on the Schwarzschild metric, and as it was correct for the Kerr-Newman metric, it is also correct for the Kerr metric.

The time dilation factor gamma is also correct after taking reciprocal of the sqrt of the ##g_{00}## metric component.

The only trouble I have is Proper acceleration from the Christoffel component. I don't know how to make the vectors for 4-velocity!
 
  • #36
Vick said:
For the Tidal force, I think that the Weyl Tensor is a better component than the Riemann one.
For the case you're computing, they're the same. The Kerr metric is a vacuum solution, so its Ricci tensor is zero. So you can call it the Riemann tensor or the Weyl tensor, it doesn't matter.

Vick said:
For the escape velocity, I do think that this particular formula works for all
If you mean the Schwarzschild formula also works for the Kerr metric, this is known to be false.

Vick said:
as it was correct for the Kerr-Newman metric
What are you basing this on?

Vick said:
The time dilation factor gamma is also correct after taking reciprocal of the sqrt of the ##g_{00}## metric component.
For a stationary observer, yes, this works for both the Schwarzschild and the Kerr metrics. The specific formulas are different but the method is the same.

Vick said:
The only trouble I have is Proper acceleration from the Christoffel component. I don't know how to make the vectors for 4-velocity!
The 4-velocity for a stationary observer has only one nonzero component, ##u^t##. That, and the fact that the vector must have unit norm, should be enough for you to compute the formula for ##u^t##.
 
  • #37
PeterDonis said:
If you mean the Schwarzschild formula also works for the Kerr metric, this is known to be false.
I am not talking about the Schwarzschild formula! I talked about an Escape velocity formula that involves the ##\gamma## factor that works for all the BH metrics because it is based on their respective ##\gamma##.

For the Weyl Tensor, they give different values than the Riemann ones because I took the valence (0,4) instead.

And I finally succeeded in using vector field in the BL coordinates system and finding its covariant derivative to find the nonzero component of the acceleration. From there I just used the Christoffel components with it.

But thanks for the clues, even though they come with a lot of attitudes!!!
 
  • #38
Vick said:
I talked about an Escape velocity formula that involves the ##\gamma## factor that works for all the BH metrics because it is based on their respective ##\gamma##.
What formula is that? The only escape velocity formula I see posted anywhere in this thread is the Schwarzschild formula you posted in the OP.

Vick said:
For the Weyl Tensor, they give different values than the Riemann ones because I took the valence (0,4) instead.
Do you mean you lowered an index? That doesn't make the Weyl tensor different from the Riemann tensor; for any vacuum spacetime they are automatically the same. It just means you lowered an index.

Vick said:
And I finally succeeded in using vector field in the BL coordinates system and finding its covariant derivative to find the nonzero component of the acceleration. From there I just used the Christoffel components with it.
What did you come up with?

Vick said:
even though they come with a lot of attitudes!!!
Statements like this are off topic. Please refrain from them.
 
  • #39
PeterDonis said:
The only escape velocity formula I see posted anywhere in this thread is the Schwarzschild formula you posted in the OP.
In post number 25.

Yes I lowered the first index of the Weyl tensor!

##((a^2*m*cos(\theta)^2-m*r^2)/(a^4*cos(\theta)^4+2*a^2*r^2*cos(\theta)^2+r^4))## is the nonzero component of the acceleration for the Kerr metric.
 
  • #40
Vick said:
In post number 25.
Ah, sorry, I missed it. So you mean this:

Vick said:
By the way, for escape velocity, I've read on wikipedia for the Kerr-Newman metric, that they are using ## c * \frac {\sqrt{\gamma^2 - 1}}{\gamma}## Would this work for the Kerr metric?
The Wikipedia page you refer to explicitly says that the formula is for radial escape velocity. We're not just talking about the radial case in this thread.
 
  • #41
Vick said:
Yes I lowered the first index of the Weyl tensor!
Which, given that this is a vacuum spacetime, is equivalent to lowering the first index of the Riemann tensor, since they are identical.
 
  • #42
Yukterez said:
I'm talking about this one
Ok. Yes, your point is valid regarding that post. @Vick, @Yukterez is correct that the 4-velocity of a stationary observer is not ##(1, 0, 0, 0)##, it is ##(1 / \sqrt{g_{tt}}, 0, 0, 0)##.
 

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