Abstract

We present a method for solving the Einstein-Maxwell equations in a five dimensional, asymptotically flat, black hole spacetime with three commuting Killing vector fields. In particular, we show that by reducing the dimension of the Einstein-Maxwell equations in a Kaluza-Klein like manner we can determine the components of the metric and vector potential which lie in the direction of the Killing vector fields. These components are determined by nine scalar fields each of which satisfy a partial differential equation in two variables. These equations take the form of an elliptic operator set equal to a nonlinear source. We find evidence that particular combinations of these fields satisfy Dirichlet boundary conditions, and are well suited to numerical solution using Green functions. Using this method we generate numerical solutions to the 4+1 Einstein-Maxwell equations corresponding to charged generalizations of the Myers-Perry solution. We also discover symmetry relations among the scalar equations which constrain their functional forms and posit the existence of two rigidity-theorem-like relations for electrovac spacetimes and sketch how their use generalizes our method to N+1 dimensions.

Degree

MS

College and Department

Physical and Mathematical Sciences; Physics and Astronomy

Rights

http://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/

Date Submitted

2010-07-13

Document Type

Thesis

Handle

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/etd3818

Keywords

Black Holes, Higher Dimensions, Einstein-Maxwell Equations, Rigidity Theorem

Language

English

Share

COinS