Circular geodesics stability in a static black hole

in new massive gravity

arXiv:1903.04339v1 [gr-qc] 11 Mar 2019

Andrés Aceña ∗1
, Ericson López2,3 , and Franklin Aldás3
1
Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional
de Cuyo, CONICET, Mendoza, Argentina
2
Observatorio Astronómico de Quito, Unidad de Gravitación y
Cosmologı́a, Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Quito, Ecuador
3
Departamento de Fı́sica, Facultad de Ciencias, Escuela
Politécnica Nacional, Quito, Ecuador

Abstract
We study the existence and stability of circular geodesics in a family of
asymptotically AdS static black holes in New Massive Gravity. We show
that the existence of such geodesics is determined by the sign of the hair
parameter. For a positive hair parameter the stability regions follow the
usual pattern, with an innermost unstable null geodesic separated from
the horizon, followed by a region of unstable timelike geodesics and then
stable timelike geodesics extending in the asymptotic region.

1 Introduction
New Massive Gravity (NMG), proposed in 2009 by Bergshoeff, Hohm and
Townsend [4] (also called BHT massive gravity), has received a great deal of
attention due to its remarkable properties, particularly in the context of the
AdS/CFT correspondence conjecture and because a variety of exact solutions
have been found (see for example [5, 7, 13, 3, 10]). The theory describes gravity
in a vacuum (2+1)-spacetime with a massive graviton.
In this paper, we focus on the asymptotically AdS rotating black hole so-
lution found in [13]. This solution has a hair parameter and the rotational
parameter satisfies |a| < l, where the parameter l is related with the cosmolog-
ical constant as Λ = −l−2 . The extreme rotating case of this NMG black hole
can be included after making a change in the hair parameter as suggested in
[11]. The extreme case is obtained when |a| = l. We are interested in study-
ing the existence and stability of circular geodesics in the static case of this
∗ acena.andres@conicet.gov.ar

1
spacetime. Geodesics in solutions to NMG have been studied profusely, as they
provide important information on the properties of the spacetimes. Such studies
have been carried out for example for the BTZ black hole [8], for Lifschitz black
holes [9], and from the perspective of deviation angles of null geodesics in the
same spacetime as this paper focus on [12]. We are also interested in looking
for relations between circular geodesics and isoperimetric surfaces, which were
studied in [2], although the results are discouraging. For analyzing the stability
we follow [6], obtaining the corresponding principal Lyapunov exponent for the
geodesics.
The paper is organized as follows. In section 2 the family of rotating black
holes in NMG is presented. Then conditions for the existence and stability of
circular geodesics are discussed in section 3. We restrict ourselves to the static
case in section 4, finding the timelike and null circular geodesics and determining
their stability. There we also consider briefly the non-existent relation with
isoperimetric surfaces. Finally, the conclusions are presented in section 5.

2 New massive gravity and black hole solutions

The action for NMG is
√
 
1
Z
3 K
S= d x −g R − 2λ − 2 , (1)
16πG m
where
3
K = Rµν Rµν − R2 , (2)
8
and G is the gravitational constant in a (2+1)-spacetime, while m and λ are
parameters related with the cosmological constant [4, 13]. In the limit m2 → ∞
or if the scalar K is equal to zero the action of General Relativity is obtained.
As shown in [13], the field equations in this theory are of fourth order and read
1
Gµν + λgµν − Kµν = 0, (3)
2m2
where

Kµν = 2∇ρ ∇ρ Rµν − 1

2 (∇µ ∇ν R + gµν ∇ρ ∇ρ R) (4)
−8Rµρ Rρ ν + 29 RRµν (5)
+gµν 3Rρλ Rρλ − 13 2


8 R , (6)

and K = g µν Kµν .
A plethora of solutions have been found for the field equations, some of them
cited in section 1. We concentrate in the asymptotically AdS stationary black
hole family obtained in [13], given in the form presented in [11], which includes
the extreme rotating case. The metric is
dr2
ds2 = −N F dt2 + + r2 (dφ + N φ dt)2 (7)
F

2
with 2
bl2

N = 1+ (1 − ξ) , (8)
4σ
a
N φ = − 2 (µ − bσ), (9)
2r
σ2 σ2 b2 l 2
 
b 2
F = 2 + (1 + ξ)σ + (1 − ξ) − µξ , (10)
r l2 2 16
1/2
b2 l 4

2 µ 2 2
σ = r − l (1 − ξ) − (1 − ξ) , (11)
2 16
a2
ξ2 = 1 − . (12)
l2
Here µ = 4GM , being M the mass measured with respect to the zero mass black
hole, the angular momentum is given by J = M a, and b is the hair parameter.
The rotational parameter a satisfies −l ≤ a ≤ l and the extreme case is obtained
when |a| = l. The parameter l is the AdS radius, related with the cosmological
constant in the usual way, Λ = −l−2 . The mass parameter µ is bounded from
below,

b2 l 2
if b ≤ 0 ⇒ µ ≥ − , (13)
4
b2 l 2
if b > 0 ⇒ µ ≥ − (1 − ξ). (14)
8
These solutions possess one or more event horizons, an ergosphere, and in gen-
eral there is a curvature singularity, always hidden by the event horizon. Also,
for b ≤ 0, the extreme limit |a| = l corresponds to a cylindrical end, in all similar
to what happens for extreme Kerr. For details of this analysis please refer to
[1] and references therein.

3 Circular geodesics
If we denote by a dot the derivative with respect to proper time (or the affine
parameter for null geodesics) and by uµ the tangent vector, the geodesics satisfy

ṙ2
− κ = gµν uµ uν = −N F ṫ2 + + r2 (φ̇ + N φ ṫ)2 (15)
F
with (
1, for timelike geodesics,
κ= (16)
0, for null geodesics.
The metric possesses the Killing vectors ∂t and ∂φ , and the corresponding con-
stants of motion for the geodesics are

E = −gµν ∂tµ uν = N F ṫ − r2 N φ (φ̇ + N φ ṫ), (17)

3
 L = gµν ∂φµ uν = r2 (φ̇ + N φ ṫ). (18)
Using these in (15) and rearranging terms we obtain the one dimensional radial
equation of motion
ṙ2 = Vr , (19)
where we define
L2
 
1
Vr = (E + N φ L)2 − F + κ . (20)
N r2
The derivative of Vr with respect to r, denoted by a prime, is

E + N φL h φ′ φ
i
Vr′ = 2LN N − (E + N L)N ′
(21)
N2
2L2 F L2
 
+ 3 − F′ κ + 2 . (22)
r r

If we restrict our attention to circular geodesics, these need to satisfy the con-
ditions
Vr = 0, Vr′ = 0. (23)
To analyze the stability of the circular geodesics we follow the method based
on Lyapunov exponents presented in [6], and we refer the reader to that work
for details. In the case at hand the principal Lyapunov exponent is given by
r
Vr′′
λ= , (24)
2ṫ2
and the unstable orbits are those that have Vr′′ > 0. We can associate an
instability timescale (or Lyapunov timescale) to the unstable geodesics, given
by
1
Tλ = , (25)
λ
which is a measure of how fast the instability would be noticeable. This can be
compared with the orbital timescale,
2π
TΩ = , (26)
Ω
being Ω the angular velocity of the geodesic

φ̇
Ω= , (27)
ṫ
in order to calculate the corresponding critical exponent
Tλ
γ= . (28)
TΩ

4
4 Static black hole
If we consider the static case, a = 0, and then

r2
ξ = 1, σ = r, N = 1, N φ = 0, F = + br − µ. (29)
l2
The metric takes the simple form

dr2
ds2 = −F dt2 + + r2 dφ2 , (30)
F
the horizon is located at
l  p 
r+ = −lb + l2 b2 + 4µ , (31)
2
and the mass parameter µ has the following ranges according to the sign of b,

l 2 b2
b≤0⇒µ≥− , b > 0 ⇒ µ ≥ 0. (32)
4
Considering the geodesics, the constants of motion are

E = F ṫ, L = r2 φ̇. (33)

In the null case the equations of motion can be integrated analytically, which
has been done in [12].

4.1 Timelike circular geodesics

Now κ = 1, the potential is

r2 L2
  
Vr = E 2 − + br − µ + 1 , (34)
l2 r2

and its first two derivatives are

2 L2
Vr′ = − r − b + (br − 2µ), (35)
l2 r3
2 2L2
Vr′′ = − 2 − 4 (br − 3µ). (36)
l r
From the conditions Vr = 0, Vr′ = 0, we have

2F 2 r3 (2r + l2 b)
E2 = , L2 = . (37)
br − 2µ l2 (br − 2µ)

Given that E must be real, we need that

br − 2µ > 0. (38)

5
It is necessary to separate the analysis according to the sign of b. If b = 0 then
there are no circular geodesics. If b > 0, the condition form (38) is
2µ
r > rE = . (39)
b
It can be checked that rE ≥ r+ . It is also necessary that L2 > 0, which means

2r + l2 b > 0, (40)

that is
l2b
r > rL = − , (41)
2
which is always satisfied, as rL < 0. If b < 0 then condition (41) stays the same,
but condition (39) is replaced by
2µ
r < rE = , (42)
b
and it can be checked that
rE < rL , (43)
which implies that there are no circular geodesics. To summarize, if b ≤ 0 then
there are no circular geodesics, if b > 0 there are circular geodesics for r > rE ,
and there are no circular geodesics for rE > r > r+ .
Having found the circular geodesics, we turn our attention to the question
of stability. From (36) and (37) the stability condition, Vr′′ < 0, takes the form

3br2 + (l2 b2 − 8µ)r − 3l2 b > 0. (44)

The roots of the quadratic equation are

1  2 2 p 
rs± = −l b + 8µ ± l4 b4 + 20l2 b2 µ + 64µ2 , (45)
6b
and considering that b > 0 and µ ≥ 0 we have

rs− ≤ 0, rs+ ≥ rE . (46)

This means that for b > 0 there are three regions outside the horizon. For
r+ < r < rE there are no circular geodesics, for rE < r < rs+ there are circular
geodesics but they are unstable, and for rs+ < r there are circular geodesics
and they are stable.
The angular velocity for a given geodesic is
r
φ̇ LF 1 b
Ω= = 2
=± 2 + . (47)
ṫ Er l 2r
It is interesting to note that the angular velocity is a decreasing function of
the distance to the horizon, as usually expected, but that it has a non-zero
asymptotic value, which is plainly the inverse of the AdS radius l.

6
4.2 Null circular geodesics
Considering now the null case, κ = 0, the position of the null geodesics can be
found by the condition Vr′ = 0, which is equivalent to

2F − rF ′ = 0, (48)

and then there is one null geodesic located at

2µ
rn = . (49)
b
If b = 0 then there is no circular geodesic, if b < 0 then rn ≤ r+ and there is
also no circular geodesic. For b > 0 the relation between E and L is obtained
from Vr = 0,
√ s
E F 1 b2
=± =± 2 + = Ωn . (50)
L r l 4µ
The second derivative of the potential is

L 2 b4
Vr′′ = >0 (51)
8µ3
and therefore the null geodesic is unstable. It can be seen that the null geodesic
is the limit case of the timelike geodesics, being the innermost circular geodesic.
The other quantities of interest regarding the instability of the geodesic can be
readily calculated,
√ 1
λn = Ωn µ, γn = √ . (52)
2π µ

4.3 Isoperimetric surfaces

In this brief section we want to explore if it is possible to compare the ranges and
behaviour of circular geodesics with the isoperimetric structure of the spacetime,
which was studied in [2].
Regarding the isoperimetric structure, all circles of constant radius on a
constant-t slice of the spacetime are isoperimetric surfaces. For b ≤ 0 all of
them are also stable. For b > 0 the isoperimetric surfaces are stable in the
range r+ < r < rc , with
2
rc = (1 + µ), (53)
b
and are unstable for r > rc .
There seems to be no direct relation between the ranges of existence and
stability of circular geodesics and the properties of the isoperimetric surfaces.

7
5 Conclusions
We have analyzed the existence and stability of timelike and null circular geodesics
in a family of asymptotically AdS static black hole solutions of NMG. We con-
clude that the sign of the hair parameter decides the existence of such geodesics.
For b ≤ 0 there are no circular geodesics. For b > 0 there is a region close to
the horizon without circular geodesics followed by an unstable null geodesic, a
region of unstable timelike geodesics and a region of stable timelike geodesics.
The b = 0 case is the well known BTZ black hole, for which the geodesics can
be obtained in analytic form [8]. Qualitatively the case b < 0 is closely related
with the BTZ black hole, and differs with the b > 0 case. This was also observed
regarding the structure of the horizon with respect to the extremely rotating
case in [1] and regarding the isoperimetric structure of the spacetime in [2].
An interesting phenomenon in the b > 0 case was analyzed in [12], namely
that due to the hair parameter a repulsive behavior of the black hole on null
geodesics was observed. This also appears in our analysis, although in a subtle
form. For b ≤ 0 there are no circular geodesics, which can be interpreted as
the gravitational attraction to be ”too attractive”. When the hair parameter
is positive, it has a repulsive effect, that allows for the existence of circular
geodesics, counteracting the pull towards the black hole. A quantitative measure
of this effect can be seen from the position of the null circular geodesic (49),
which is closer to the horizon the bigger b gets.
It is also interesting to note that from (47) the velocity profile for test par-
ticles orbiting the black hole can be obtained. Inverting the argument, if the
velocity profile is known, then the parameters l and b of the spacetime can be
obtained. Also, the innermost circular orbit allows us to obtain the value of
µ, and therefore from the velocity profile all the parameters of the black hole
spacetime can be obtained. Another way of obtaining the value of µ is through
the critical exponent (52), which surprisingly depends only on µ.
Finally, an attempt was made to relate the geodesics to the isoperimetric
surfaces, without success. It is far from clear if there should or should not be
any relation between these quantities.

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