English

Kerr-Schild Double Copy and Complex Worldlines

High Energy Physics - Theory 2020-03-10 v2

Abstract

We use the classical double copy to identify a necessary condition for Maxwell theory sources to constitute single copies of Kerr-Schild solutions to Einstein's equations. In the case of four-dimensional Kerr-Schild spacetimes on Minkowski backgrounds, we extend this condition to a parameterization of the corresponding single copies. These are given by Li\'enard-Wiechert fields of charges on complex worldlines. This unifies the known instances of the Kerr-Schild double copy black holes on flat four-dimensional backgrounds into a single framework. Furthermore, we use the more generic condition identified to show why the black ring in five dimensions does not admit Kerr-Schild coordinates.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1910.04197,
  title  = {Kerr-Schild Double Copy and Complex Worldlines},
  author = {Ibrahima Bah and Ross Dempsey and Peter Weck},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1910.04197},
  year   = {2020}
}

Comments

To be published in JHEP. Version updated in include clarifications in wording, new sentences making a few additional remarks, and typo corrections

R2 v1 2026-06-23T11:39:04.743Z