Indian Institute of Technology Bombay

PH 544 General Relativity

————————————————
End-semester examination
Dated : 27 - 4 - 2022
Total marks: 65

Numbers in square brackets denote the marks, e.g. [5]

Useful constant: Schwarzschild radius rs ≡ 2GM
c2
= 3 km for a solar mass object
(M = 1M⊙ ).
We are working in units where c = 1, restore factors of c appropriately in your
expressions before calculating numerical results.

Problem 1 Consider the Poincare upper half plane with co-ordinates (x, y) ∈ M = R2 with y > 0. If
2 2
we endow this space with the Riemannian metric ds2 = dx y+dy 2 , we get 2D hyperbolic space H 2 . For
this problem we will work in this co-ordinate basis rather than the Rindler like basis that you used in the
assignment.

1. Find the Christoffel symbols. [5]

2. Write down the geodesic equations in the affine parameterization. [2]

3. Solve the geodesic equations to show that the geodesics in these co-ordinates are semi-circles or
vertical lines in the x − y plane for y > 0. Hint: Instead of directly solving the x and y geodesic
equations, you can solve the x-equation, coupled with the fact that arc length can be taken to be
an affine parameter. [7]

4. Find an expression for the length of the geodesics between two points at (x1 , y1 ) and (x2 , y2 ). What
happens to the length of the geodesic as either y1 → 0 or y2 → 0? [2]

5. Find the Riemann curvature tensor, the Ricci curvature tensor, and the Ricci scalar. [7]
∂
6. ∂x is obviously a Killing vector. Explicitly plug this in to the Killing equation to show that it
satisfies the Killing equation. [5]

Problem 2 The Lense-Thirring effect Consider a thin spherical shell of mass M and radius R with
R ≫ rs = 2GM
c2
which is slowly rotating with an angular frequency ω about some axis (let us call it the
z-axis).

1. Working in the linearized gravity approximation in a Minkowski background with slow moving
sources, show that the gravo-electric field and gravo-magnetic field at the center of the shell are
given by, [11]

⃗ = 2 GM ωẑ
⃗ = 0, B
E
3 R

Hint: Use the fact that with our gauge choice we obtain equations identical to Maxwell’s equations
for the gravo-electric and gravo-magnetic fields with a source charge-current density J µ = (ρ, ρ⃗v ).
Also it might be useful to recall the integrated form of Ampere’s law (Biot-Savart law) for a given
current density,
Z ⃗
⃗ = G I dl × ⃗r ,
B
r3

1
 ⃗ G is Netwon’s gravitational constant, and ⃗r is
where I is a current element with length vector dl,
the vector joining the current element to the point at which we are computing the magnetic field.

Note for parts (2) and (3) of problem 2: It can be shown that the electric field and magnetic
field are actually constant over the entire inner region of the shell. Given that we only have a time-
independent magnetic field and no electric field inside the shell, this means that we can write the
magnetic field using a time-independent (but spatially dependent) vector potential A, ⃗ where B ⃗ =
⃗ ⃗
∇ × A. This leads to a metric for space-time which can be written as ds = −dt + 8Ai dx dt + dxi2 ,
2 2 i

as discussed in class.
Also, given that we have a gravo-magnetic field, its Lorentz force on a particle at rest vanishes, so
a particle at rest anywhere in the shell is following geodesic motion.

2. Suppose we have a particle at rest at the center of the shell, with intrinsic spin angular momentum
⃗ If we construct a four vector spin S = (0, S),
vector S. ⃗ this spin-angular momentum is parallel
transported along with the particle’s motion through space-time. This implies that ∇U S = 0,
where U is the 4-vector of the particle. Show that this leads to an equation of the form,

⃗
dS ⃗ × S,
=Ω ⃗
dt
⃗ = 2B.
where Ω ⃗ [6]

3. Solve the above equations for Sx , Sy , Sz to show that the spin of the particle precesses in the Sx −Sy
⃗ The sense of rotation of the spin when it precesses is in the same
plane with frequency Ω = 2|B|.
sense as that of the rotating sphere. This effect is called frame dragging. What is the ratio Ω/ω
for a shell of mass M = 1M⊙ and R = 1R⊙ = 700, 000 km? [7]

Problem 3 Consider the Schwarzschild metric,

2GM −1 2
   
2 2GM 2
ds = − 1 − dt + 1 − dr + r2 dΩ2 .
r r

In class we have argued that these co-ordinates are also valid inside the black hole interior as well (just
not at the horizon r = 2GM ).

1. Show that once an observer crosses the event horizon and falls in to a black hole, their r co-ordinate
must decrease at a rate which satisfies the lower bound, [3]
 1/2
dr 2GM
≥ −1 .
dτ r

2. Find an expression for the maximum proper time that an observer would take to fall in to the
singularity at r = 0 after crossing the horizon. Argue that this maximum proper time would be
achieved only for a freely-falling observer and that any attempt to accelerate would only shorten
this time. [8]

3. Calculate this maximum proper time (in seconds) to reach the Schwarzschild singularity from the
event horizon for a 1M⊙ black hole. [2]