English

$\mathrm{SL}(2,\mathbb{R})$ families of Kerr black holes

High Energy Physics - Theory 2025-06-03 v1 General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology

Abstract

The stationary, axisymmetric sector of vacuum general relativity (with zero cosmological constant) enjoys an SL(2,R)\mathrm{SL}(2,\mathbb{R}) symmetry called the Matzner-Misner group. We study the action of the Matzner-Misner group on the Kerr black hole. We show that the group acts naturally on a three parameter generalization of the usual two parameter Kerr solution. The new parameter represents a large diffeomorphism which gives the spacetime an asymptotic angular velocity. We explain how the SL(2,R)\mathrm{SL}(2,\mathbb{R}) symmetry organizes the space of three parameter Kerr solutions into the classical analogue of principal series representations. We show that the SL(2,R)\mathrm{SL}(2,\mathbb{R}) Casimir operator is the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy. The Matzner-Misner group sits inside a much larger Kac-Moody symmetry called the Geroch group. We show that the Kac-Moody level of the Kerr black hole is the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2506.00184,
  title  = {$\mathrm{SL}(2,\mathbb{R})$ families of Kerr black holes},
  author = {Robert Penna},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2506.00184},
  year   = {2025}
}

Comments

17 page, 2 figures