Effective dynamics and instabilities of black holes:

1/D expansion
Master’s Thesis

Author: Adam Teixidó Bonfill

Supervisor: Roberto Emparan García de Salazar
University of Barcelona
Master in Astrophysics, Particle Physics and Cosmology
July 2021
0 Reference |1

The master’s thesis reproduced the equations and analysis of:

Roberto Emparan, Ryotaku Suzuki, and Kentaro Tanabe. “Evolution and
End Point of the Black String Instability: Large D Solution”. In: Phys.
Rev. Lett. 115 (9 2015), p. 091102

Introduction Effective dynamics of black p-branes Simulation of the black string instabilities Conclusions
0 Outline |2

1 Introduction

2 Effective dynamics of black p-branes

3 Simulation of the black string instabilities

4 Conclusions

Introduction Effective dynamics of black p-branes Simulation of the black string instabilities Conclusions
1 Outline |3

1 Introduction

2 Effective dynamics of black p-branes

3 Simulation of the black string instabilities

4 Conclusions

Introduction Effective dynamics of black p-branes Simulation of the black string instabilities Conclusions
1 Motivation |4

(b) Binary Black hole merger. Credits: Simulating eXtreme Spacetimes -

Lensing (SXS)
(a) Supernova. Credits: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss

Introduction Effective dynamics of black p-branes Simulation of the black string instabilities Conclusions
1 Motivation |5

(b) Binary Black hole merger. Credits: Simulating eXtreme Spacetimes -

Lensing (SXS)
(a) Supernova. Credits: NASA/CXC/M.Weiss

Simulations with General Relativity have complicated

numerics and demand a large computing power.

Introduction Effective dynamics of black p-branes Simulation of the black string instabilities Conclusions
1 Motivation |6

How can we simplify the physics? Expanding in a small parameter.

I In Quantum Electrodynamics:
Expansion in α (small electromagnetic interaction).
I In General Relativity (GR):
Expansion in 1/D (large spacetime dimension D).

Introduction Effective dynamics of black p-branes Simulation of the black string instabilities Conclusions
1 Motivation |7

How can we simplify the physics? Expanding in a small parameter.

I In Quantum Electrodynamics:
Expansion in α (small electromagnetic interaction).
I In General Relativity (GR):
Expansion in 1/D (large spacetime dimension D).

GR is well defined in any D ≥ 4.

Effective dynamics at large D. A quick simulation on a personal laptop

provides the effective evolution of massive, complicated objects under GR.

Introduction Effective dynamics of black p-branes Simulation of the black string instabilities Conclusions
1 Gravity in D > 4 |8

Other reasons why D > 4 is interesting1 :

I String theory contains gravity and has D > 4.
I The AdS/CFT correspondence.
D dimensional black hole ↔ D − 1 dimensional quantum field theory.
I To get insights about GR.

1 Roberto Emparan and Harvey S. Reall. “Black Holes in Higher Dimensions”. In:

Living Reviews in Relativity 11.1 (2008).

Introduction Effective dynamics of black p-branes Simulation of the black string instabilities Conclusions
1 Gravity in D > 4 |9

New “black” objects. Black p-branes (extended in p directions)

(a) Black hole horizon ΣH . (b) Uniform black string horizon R × ΣH .

Figure: Spatial 3D slices of the horizons of the simpler p-branes (p = 0 and p = 1).

New black hole topologies. D = 4: only sphere. D > 4: holes in the

horizon are possible,

Figure: Black ring horizon (spatial 3D slice)

Introduction Effective dynamics of black p-branes Simulation of the black string instabilities Conclusions
1 Black string instabilities | 10

Gregory-Laflamme instability2 :
Uniform black strings are
unstable in general and their final
fate is difficult to determine.

This phenomenon has wide

implications for higher D black
hole physics and for AdS/CFT
duality.

2 Ruth Gregory and Raymond Laflamme. “Black strings and p-branes are unstable”.

In: Phys. Rev. Lett. 70 (19 1993), pp. 2837–2840.

Introduction Effective dynamics of black p-branes Simulation of the black string instabilities Conclusions
1 Black string instabilities | 11

Gregory-Laflamme instability3 : There exist stable non-uniform

Uniform black strings are black strings (NUBS) above a
unstable in general and their final critical dimension D∗ = 13.54 .
fate is difficult to determine.

This phenomenon has wide

implications for higher D black
hole physics and for AdS/CFT
duality.
Figure: Possible horizon of a stable NUBS.
The direction along the string is
compactified/periodic.

Is a stable NUBS the endpoint of the evolution of the Gregory-Laflamme

instability?
3 Gregory
and Laflamme, “Black strings and p-branes are unstable”.
4 EvgenySorkin. “Critical Dimension in the Black-String Phase Transition”. In: Phys.
Rev. Lett. 93 (3 2004), p. 031601.
Introduction Effective dynamics of black p-branes Simulation of the black string instabilities Conclusions
2 Outline | 12

1 Introduction

2 Effective dynamics of black p-branes

3 Simulation of the black string instabilities

4 Conclusions

Introduction Effective dynamics of black p-branes Simulation of the black string instabilities Conclusions
2 Effective dynamics at order 1/D | 13

Objective:
Deduce the effective dynamics of deformations of uniform p-branes at
large D found in5 .

From now on, we will consider that p-branes have worldvolume directions

σ µ = (t, σ a ), a = 1, . . . , p. (1)

5 Roberto Emparan, Ryotaku Suzuki, and Kentaro Tanabe. “Evolution and End Point

of the Black String Instability: Large D Solution”. In: Phys. Rev. Lett. 115 (9 2015),
p. 091102.
Introduction Effective dynamics of black p-branes Simulation of the black string instabilities Conclusions
2 Effective dynamics deduction | 14

Deduction
I Metric ansatz (inspired from the boosted uniform p-brane metric),
n ≡ D − p − 3,
2 1
ds2 = − Adt2 − Ca dσ a dt + Gab dσ a dσ b
n n
ua a 
(2)

− 2 ut dt + dσ dr + r2 dΩn+1 .
n
I Solve Einstein’s equations in vacuum

Introduction Effective dynamics of black p-branes Simulation of the black string instabilities Conclusions
2 Effective dynamics deduction | 15

Deduction
I Metric ansatz (inspired from the boosted uniform p-brane metric),
n ≡ D − p − 3,
2 1
ds2 = − Adt2 − Ca dσ a dt + Gab dσ a dσ b
n n
ua a 
(3)

− 2 ut dt + dσ dr + r2 dΩn+1 .
n
I Solve Einstein’s equations in vacuum
> Spherical reduction (radial symmetry).
> Expand the ansatz metric coefficients in powers of 1/n ∼ 1/D.
> Solve Einstein’s equations at leading and next to leading order in
1/n ∼ 1/D.

Introduction Effective dynamics of black p-branes Simulation of the black string instabilities Conclusions
2 Result: Effective dynamics’ equations | 16

Variables
I m(σ µ ): Indicates the radial position of the horizon and the energy
density of the p-brane.
I pa (σ µ ): Indicates the momentum density in the direction a of the
p-brane.

Non-linear effective dynamics

∂t m − ∂b ∂ b m = −∂b pb , (4)
pa pb
 
b
∂t pa − ∂b ∂ pa = ∂a m − ∂b . (5)
m
They are continuity equations for m and pa .

Introduction Effective dynamics of black p-branes Simulation of the black string instabilities Conclusions
2 Effective dynamics checks | 17

Consider a black string, with σ 1 ≡ z, p1 ≡ p.

Introduction Effective dynamics of black p-branes Simulation of the black string instabilities Conclusions
2 Effective dynamics checks | 18

Consider a black string, with σ 1 ≡ z, p1 ≡ p.

Small perturbations: linear analysis
Perturb a uniform black string:

m(t, z) = 1 + δm e−iωt+ikz , p(t, z) = δp e−iωt+ikz . (6)

=⇒ ω± = i(±k − k 2 ) . (7)
Unstable modes! (k < 1 =⇒ −iω+ > 0)

Introduction Effective dynamics of black p-branes Simulation of the black string instabilities Conclusions
3 Outline | 19

1 Introduction

2 Effective dynamics of black p-branes

3 Simulation of the black string instabilities

4 Conclusions

Introduction Effective dynamics of black p-branes Simulation of the black string instabilities Conclusions
3 Simulation of the black string instabilities | 20

Objective:
Use the equations of the effective dynamics to reproduce the
simulations and analysis of the instabilities of black strings done in6 .

We solve numerically the black string equations

∂t m(t, z) − ∂z2 m(t, z) = −∂z p(t, z) , (8)

p2 (t, z)
 
2
∂t p(t, z) − ∂z p(t, z) = ∂z m(t, z) − , (9)
m(t, z)
with a quick execution of Mathematica’s NDSolve.

6 Emparan, Suzuki, and Tanabe, “Evolution and End Point of the Black String

Instability: Large D Solution”.

Introduction Effective dynamics of black p-branes Simulation of the black string instabilities Conclusions
3 Set-up for the simulation of black string instabilities | 21

Initial condition
We perturb slightly a uniform black string,

m(0, z) = 1 + δm(z), p(0, z) = δp(z). (10)

When m = 1 the horizon is at radial position r0 = 1.

Introduction Effective dynamics of black p-branes Simulation of the black string instabilities Conclusions
3 Set-up for the simulation of black string instabilities | 22

Initial condition
We perturb slightly a uniform black string,

m(0, z) = 1 + δm(z), p(0, z) = δp(z). (11)

When m = 1 the horizon is at radial position r0 = 1.

Compactify the z direction

We take z ∈ [−L/2, L/2] and parametrize the periodicity with a
wavenumber
2π
kL = . (12)
L
Since we set the horizon at r0 = 1: Larger kL → Thicker black string.

Introduction Effective dynamics of black p-branes Simulation of the black string instabilities Conclusions
3 Thick black string: kL > 1 (no unstable modes possible) | 23

Figure: Evolution of a perturbed string with kL = 1.5. The vertical axis m(t, z) corresponds to the
energy density. The initial perturbation decays and the black string becomes uniform.

Introduction Effective dynamics of black p-branes Simulation of the black string instabilities Conclusions
3 Black string with an unstable mode: 0.5 < kL < 1 | 24

Figure: Evolution of a perturbed string with kL = 0.7. The initial perturbation grows and eventually
the string reaches a stable configuration. A blob is formed, independently of the initial perturbation.

Introduction Effective dynamics of black p-branes Simulation of the black string instabilities Conclusions
3 Thin black string with multiple unstable modes: kL < 0.5 | 25

Figure: Evolution of a string of kL = 0.4 with two initial Gaussian perturbations to m. The two
initial perturbations grow, but eventually their mutual attraction makes them merge into a single
static blob.

Introduction Effective dynamics of black p-branes Simulation of the black string instabilities Conclusions
4 Outline | 26

1 Introduction

2 Effective dynamics of black p-branes

3 Simulation of the black string instabilities

4 Conclusions

Introduction Effective dynamics of black p-branes Simulation of the black string instabilities Conclusions
4 Conclusions | 27

I We introduced the importance of large D gravity.

I We reproduced the equations and analysis of R. Emparan et al. in

“Evolution and endpoint of the black string instability: Large D
solution”:
> Deduced the effective dynamics of p-branes at large D.
> Simulated numerically the instabilities of black strings → Unstable
thin black strings become a stable NUBS, for D large enough.

I Possible further study:

> Correct the effective dynamics to higher order in 1/D → Get closer
to D = 4.
> Collision of black holes as collision of blobs on black branes.7

7 Tomás Andrade et al. “Cosmic censorship violation in black hole collisions in higher

dimensions”. In: Journal of High Energy Physics 2019.4 (2019); Tomás Andrade et al.
“Black hole collisions, instabilities, and cosmic censorship violation at large D”. In:
Journal of High Energy Physics 2019.9 (2019).
Introduction Effective dynamics of black p-branes Simulation of the black string instabilities Conclusions
Thank you for your attention
4 Effective dynamics checks | 29

Consider a black string, with σ 1 ≡ z, p1 ≡ p.

Small perturbations: linear analysis
Perturb a uniform black string:

m(t, z) = 1 + δm e−iωt+ikz , p(t, z) = δp e−iωt+ikz . (13)

=⇒ ω± = i(±k − k 2 ) . (14)
Unstable modes! (k < 1 =⇒ −iω+ > 0)

Static black string

Imposing m(z), p(z):

(m0 )2
m00 + m − = constant , p00 = m0 . (15)
m

Introduction Effective dynamics of black p-branes Simulation of the black string instabilities Conclusions
4 Formation of a Gaussian-like blob | 30

The final state is approximated by8

L
(16)
2
m(z) ' √ ez /2
2π

Figure: Large static blob developed in the black string of kL = 0.7 (solid line), versus the Gaussian
that approximates it (16) (dashed line). Note that the vertical axis is logarithmic.

8 Roberto Emparan et al. Effective theory of Black Holes in the 1/D expansion. 2015.

arXiv: 1504.06489 [hep-th]; Ryotaku Suzuki and Kentaro Tanabe. “Non-uniform black
strings and the critical dimension in the 1/D expansion”. In: Journal of High Energy
Physics 2015.10 (2015).
Introduction Effective dynamics of black p-branes Simulation of the black string instabilities Conclusions