Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2010 iii Paper 54 1 a iii Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
In Cartesian coordinates , , , the rotational Killing vector field and its dual differential one-form areTherefore the Papapetrou electromagnetic field isChoose the electromagnetic field convention and . There are no time components, and , so this is a uniform magnetic field along the rotation axis, with no electric field:Multiplying the Killing vector field by produces any desired uniform magnetic field strength .
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2010 iii Paper 54 1 a ii Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
The Levi-Civita connection has symmetric Christoffel symbols, so antisymmetrization removes its connection terms. Hence the Papapetrou electromagnetic field iswhere the last equality uses the Killing equation. As a differential two-form, , so the identity for the exterior derivative proves . Contracting the preceding second covariant derivative of a Killing vector givesA vacuum spacetime here has , with no cosmological constant. Therefore both source-free Maxwell equations hold:This is a test electromagnetic field on the given vacuum spacetime; its own stress-energy tensor is not included in that background's Einstein field equations.
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2010 iii Paper 54 1 a iv Solution Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
Write in the Schwarzschild metric. For the stationary Killing vector field , its dual is and the Papapetrou electromagnetic field isOutside the Schwarzschild event horizon, use the static orthonormal coframe , , , . Then . With the electric field convention from the preceding part,Thus the stationary Killing vector field gives a Coulomb electric field, directed inward in this convention. If the charge is normalized by , its charge is . A convention with reverses that charge; the invariant content is a radial monopole electric field of magnitude .
For the axial Killing vector field , , givingIn the same static orthonormal coframe, this is a purely magnetic field withAt large these are the spherical components of . This is therefore the regular magnetic test field asymptotic to a uniform axial field, distorted by the Schwarzschild black hole. Its net magnetic monopole flux is zero because the integral of over a sphere vanishes. Both electromagnetic fields are regular at the future event horizon: in Ingoing Eddington-Finkelstein coordinates, the electric field is , and the magnetic two-form already contains only regular spatial coordinates. Static observers themselves cease to exist on the event horizon.