Late-Time Behavior of Stellar Collapse and Explosions: I. Linearized Perturbations

TL;DR

This paper analyzes late-time tails of linear perturbations on curved backgrounds, focusing on Schwarzschild and Reissner-Nordström spacetimes. Through analytic and numerical methods, it demonstrates that power-law tails arise from backscattering and persist at timelike infinity, null infinity, and horizons, even when a black hole horizon is absent. The tail exponents depend only on the multipole index and initial static content, not on spin or charge, and are confirmed by detailed simulations. The results have implications for mass inflation and the stability of Cauchy horizons, as well as for the broader behavior of fields during collapse or explosive stellar scenarios.

Abstract

Problem with the figures should be corrected. Apparently a broken uuencoder was the cause.