New approaches to the general relativistic Poynting-Robertson effect

TL;DR

This paper develops a comprehensive three-dimensional model of the general relativistic Poynting-Robertson effect, introduces the Rayleigh potential in this context for the first time, and proves the stability of critical hypersurfaces.

Contribution

It presents the first three-dimensional formulation and the Rayleigh potential for the effect, along with a new proof of the stability of critical hypersurfaces.

Findings

Established the 3D model of the effect.

Derived the analytical Rayleigh potential.

Proved the stability of critical hypersurfaces.

Abstract

Objectives: A systematic study on the general relativistic Poynting-Robertson effect has been developed so far by introducing different complementary approaches, which can be mainly divided in two kinds: (1) improving the theoretical assessments and model in its simple aspects, and (2) extracting mathematical and physical information from such system with the aim to extend methods or results to other similar physical systems of analogue structure. Methods/Analysis: We use these theoretical approaches: relativity of observer splitting formalism; Lagrangian formalism and Rayleigh potential with a new integration method; Lyapunov theory os stability. Findings: We determined the three-dimensional formulation of the general relativistic Poynting-Robertson effect model. We determine the analytical form of the Rayleigh potential and discuss its implications. We prove that the critical hypersurfaces (regions where there is a balance between gravitational and radiation forces) are stable configurations. Novelty /Improvement: Our new contributions are: to have introduced the three-dimensional description; to have determined the general relativistic Rayleigh potential for the first time in the General Relativity literature; to have provided an alternative, general and more elegant proof of the stability of the critical hypersurfaces.