Dynamical analogue spacetimes in non-relativistic flows

TL;DR

This paper extends analogue gravity models to include nonlinear perturbations in dynamical, non-relativistic flows, revealing a propagating fluctuation on a well-defined, evolving acoustic spacetime with potential astrophysical implications.

Contribution

It generalizes the analogue gravity paradigm to nonlinear regimes and introduces a dynamical acoustic spacetime framework for analyzing perturbations in accretion flows.

Findings

Existence of a dynamical acoustic spacetime with causal structure and curvature.

Classical fluctuation relation for the acoustic horizon allowing growth and recession.

Numerical demonstration of oscillating and stable horizons under perturbations.

Abstract

Analogue gravity models describe linear fluctuations of fluids as a massless scalar field propagating on stationary acoustic spacetimes constructed from the background flow. In this paper, we establish that this paradigm generalizes to arbitrary order nonlinear perturbations propagating on dynamical analogue spacetimes. Our results hold for all inviscid, spherically symmetric and barotropic non-relativistic flows in the presence of an external conservative force. We demonstrate that such fluids always admit a dynamical description governed by a coupled pair of wave and continuity equations. We provide an iterative approach to solve these equations about any known stationary solution to all orders in perturbation. In the process, we reveal that there exists a dynamical acoustic spacetime on which fluctuations of the mass accretion rate propagate. The dynamical acoustic spacetime is shown to have a well defined causal structure and curvature. In addition, we find a classical fluctuation relation for the acoustic horizon of the spacetime that admit scenarios wherein the horizon can grow as well as recede, with the latter being a result with no known analogue in black holes. As an example, we numerically investigate the Bondi flow accreting solution subject to exponentially damped time dependent perturbations. We find that second and higher order classical perturbations possess an acoustic horizon that oscillates and changes to a new stable size at late times. In particular, the case of a receding acoustic horizon is realized through `low frequency' perturbations. We discuss our results in the context of more general analogue models and its potential implications on astrophysical accretion flows.