General Relativity

Homework Set 4
Due Date: July 9, 2023

Exercise 1:
a) Find the radial null geodesics of the Reissner-Nordström (RN) with |q| < m and express the RN
metric in double null coordinates.
b) Find the conserved quantities for the non-radial null geodesics of the RN with |q| < m, and
determine whether there is a photon sphere outside the horizon.

Exercise 2:
a) Show that in the Kerr-Newmann (KN) solution
2mr − q 2 2mar sin2 θ sin2 θ
 
2 Σ
dt2 − (r2 + a2 )2 − a2 ∆) dϕ2 + dr2 + Σ dθ2 .


ds = − 1 − dt dϕ +
Σ Σ Σ ∆
where
Σ = r2 + a2 cos2 θ, ∆ = r2 − 2mr + a2 + q 2 ,
2 2 2
with a + q < m , there is a constant Ω such that ξ = ∂t + Ω∂ϕ is a null Killing vector field
tangent to the horizon.
b) Show that this vector field satisfies
(1) ∇ξ ξ = κξ.
c) Show that (1) is equivalent to the condition the integral curves of ξ after reparameterization by
an affine parameter are geodesics.
d) Show that κ, called the surface gravity of the black hole, in (1) is constant along the horizon.
Compute the surface gravity of the Kerr black hole and show that κ = 0 exactly in the extreme
case |a| = m.

Exercise 3: Find the conserved quantities for null geodesics in the equatorial plane of the Kerr
solution. Is there a bound null orbit?