Dirac Equation on Kerr–Newman spacetime and Heun

functions
arXiv:2102.03850v1 [hep-th] 7 Feb 2021

1
Ciprian Dariescu, Marina-Aura Dariescu,2 Cristian Stelea,3
1,2
Faculty of Physics, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iasi
11 Bd. Carol I, Iasi, 700506, Romania
3
Science Research Department, Institute of Interdisciplinary Research, “Alexandru Ioan
Cuza” University of Iasi
11 Bd. Carol I, Iasi, 700506, Romania

Abstract
By employing a pseudo-orthonormal coordinate-free approach, the Dirac equation
for particles in the Kerr–Newman spacetime is separated into its radial and angular
parts. In the massless case to which a special attention is given, the general Heun-
type equations turn into their confluent form. We show how one recovers some results
previously obtained in literature, by other means.

Keywords: Dirac Equation; Heun functions; Kerr–Newman spacetime.

PACS: 04.20.Jb ; 02.40.Ky ; 04.62.+v ; 02.30. Gp; 11.27.+d.

1
E-mail: ciprian.dariescu@uaic.ro
2
E-mail: marina@uaic.ro
3
E-mail: cristian.stelea@uaic.ro
1 Introduction
After Carter found that the scalar wave function is separable in the Kerr–Newman–de Sitter
geometries [1], the solutions to the Teukolsky equations [2], for massless fields in the Kerr
metrics, have been analytically expressed in the form of series of various functions [3]; [4].
Starting with the work of Chandrasekhar [5], general properties of a massive Dirac field
equation in the Kerr background have been extensively studied.
The recent interest in the so-called quasinormal modes of a Dirac field in the Kerr back-
ground is motivated by the detection of gravitational waves [6], [7], [8], whose phase can be
described in terms of the proper oscillation frequencies of the black hole.
In terms of techniques, after the Dirac equation in the Kerr-Newman background was
separated [9], [10]], using the Kinnersley tetrad [11], the Newman-Penrose formalism[12] has
been considered as a valuable tool for dealing with this subject [13]. This formalism as
well as the Geroch–Held–Penrose variant have been used for the Teukolksy Master Equation
describing any massless field of different spins, in the Kerr black hole and for an arbitrary
vacuum spacetime [14], [15].
In [16], [17] it was shown that, for Kerr-de Sitter and Kerr-Newman-de Sitter geometries
both angular and radial equations for the Teukolsky equation, for massless fields, are trans-
formed into Heun’s equation [18], [19] and analytic solutions can be derived in the form of
series of hypergeometric functions.
The massive case was tackled within the WKB approach [20] or numerically, using the
convergent Frobenius method [21]. Very recently, in [21], after a tedious calculation, using
a generalised Kinnersley null tetrad in the Newman-Penrose formalism, the Dirac equation
for a massive fermion has been separated in its radial and angular parts, the solutions being
expressed in terms of generalised Heun functions.
Our work is proposing an alternative, free of coordinates, method based on Cartan’s
formalism. Thus, we are computing all the geometrical essentias for dealing with the Dirac
equation in its SO(3, 1)×U (1) gauge covariant formulation. Our approach is generalizing the
theory developed in [22], where, for massless fermions on the Kerr space-time, the authors
are switching between canonical and pseudo-orthonormal basis and the solutions are derived
using numerical techniques.
By imposing the necessary condition for a polynomial form of the Heun confluent func-
tions [18], [19], we obtain the resonant frequencies, which are of a crucial importance for
getting information on the black holes interacting with different quantum fields [23].
In the last years, the Heun functions in either their general or confluent forms have been
obtained by many authors, as for example [25] - [36] and the references therein.

2
 The structure of this paper is as follows: In section 2, we present all the necessary
ingredients for writting down the massive Dirac equation in the Kerr-Newman background.
We show that, by using an orthonormal tetrad adapted to the Kerr-Newman metric, one can
separate the massive Dirac equation. For slowly rotating objects, the solutions of the radial
equations can be expressed in terms of the confluent Heun functions. As an application, we
compute the modal radial current vector. In section 3, we turn our attention to the massless
Dirac fermions and show that the Dirac equations can be solved exactly in the Kerr case and
also in the extremal case, a result previously known in literature, obtained by other means.
The final section is dedicated to conclusions.

2 The SO(3, 1) × U (1)−gauge covariant Dirac Equation

Let us start with the four-dimensional Kerr–Newman metric in the usual Boyer–Lindquist
coordinates,

ρ2 sin2 θ  2 ∆  2
ds2 = (dr)2 + ρ2 (dθ)2 + 2
a dt − (r2 + a2 )dϕ − 2 dt − a sin2 θ dϕ , (1)
∆ ρ ρ

where ∆ = r2 − 2M r + a2 + Q2 , ρ2 = r2 + a2 cos2 θ and M , Q and a are the black hole’s

mass, charge and angular momentum per unit mass. The electromagnetic background of the
black hole is given by the four-vector potential, in coordinate basis,
Qr
Ai dxi = 2


dt − a sin θdϕ . (2)
ρ2

Within a SO(3, 1)−gauge covariant formulation, we introduce the pseudo-orthonormal

frame {Ea }a=1,4 , whose corresponding dual base is

sin θ 2 sin θ
Ω1 = ρ dθ , Ω2 = (r + a2 )dϕ − a dt ,
ρ ρ
√ √
3 ρ 4 ∆ 2 ∆
Ω = √ dr , Ω = −a sin θ dϕ + dt , (3)
∆ ρ ρ

leading to the expressions

1 1 1 a
dθ = Ω , dϕ = Ω2 + √ Ω4 ,
ρ ρ sin θ ρ ∆
√
∆ 3 a r 2 + a2
dr = Ω , dt = sin θ Ω2 + √ Ω4 .
ρ ρ ρ ∆

Thus, using the relations gik dxi dxk = gik Eai Ebk Ωa Ωb = δab Ωa Ωb , i.e. dxi = Eai Ωa , one may

3
write down the pseudo-orthonormal frame
1 1 a
E1 = ∂θ , E 2 = ∂ϕ + sin θ ∂t ,
ρ ρ sin θ ρ
√
∆ a r 2 + a2
E3 = ∂r , E4 = √ ∂ϕ + √ ∂t . (4)
ρ ρ ∆ ρ ∆
Using (3), the first Cartan’s equation,

dΩa = Γa.[bc] Ωb ∧ Ωc , (5)

with 1 ≤ b < c ≤ 4 and Γa.[bc] = Γa.bc − Γa.cb , can be explicitely worked out as
√
∆
1
dΩ = − 2 ρ,3 Ω1 ∧ Ω3 ,
ρ
  √
1 sin θ r ∆ 2ar sin θ 3
dΩ2 = Ω1 ∧ Ω2 − 3 Ω2 ∧ Ω3 + 3
Ω ∧ Ω4 ,
sin θ ρ ,1 ρ ρ
3 ρ,1 1 3
dΩ = 2 Ω ∧ Ω ,
ρ
√ 2
√ !
a ∆ a ∆
dΩ4 = −2 3 cos θΩ1 ∧ Ω2 − 3 sin θ cos θΩ1 ∧ Ω4 + Ω3 ∧ Ω4 ,
ρ ρ ρ
,3

where (·),1 and (·),3 are the derivatives with respect to θ and r, leading to the following
complete list of non-zero connection coefficients in the Cartan frames {Ωa , Ea }a=1,4 :
  √
1 sin θ a ∆
Γ122 = −Γ212 = − , Γ124 = −Γ214 = −Γ412 = − 3 cos θ ,
sin θ ρ ,1 ρ
√
∆ ρ,1
Γ131 = −Γ311 = 2 ρ,3 , Γ133 = −Γ313 = − 2 ,
ρ ρ
√
r ∆ ar
Γ232 = −Γ322 = 3 , Γ234 = −Γ324 = 3 sin θ ,
ρ ρ
√
a ∆ a2
Γ142 = −Γ412 = − 3 cos θ , Γ144 = −Γ414 = − 3 sin θ cos θ ,
ρ ρ
√
a ∆ ar
Γ241 = −Γ421 = Γ412 = 3
cos θ , Γ243 = −Γ423 = −Γ234 = − 3 sin θ ,
ρ ρ
√ !
ar ∆
Γ342 = −Γ432 = −Γ234 = − 3 sin θ , Γ344 = −Γ434 = . (6)
ρ ρ
,3

Now, one has all the essentials to write down the SO(3, 1) × U (1) gauge-covariant Dirac
equation for the fermion of mass µ,

γ a Ψ;a + µΨ = 0 , (7)

4
where “;” stands for the covariant derivative
1
Ψ;a = Ψ|a + Γbca γ b γ c Ψ − iqAa Ψ , (8)
4
with Ψ|a = Ea Ψ.
In view of the relations (6), the term expressing the Ricci spin-connection
1 1 1
Γbca γ a γ b γ c = [Γ212 + Γ313 − Γ414 ] γ 1 + [Γ131 + Γ232 − Γ434 ] γ 3
4 2 2
i 3 5 i 1 5
+ Γ241 γ γ + Γ234 γ γ
2 2
has the concrete expression
" √ √ #
2
 
1 1 cot θ a 1 ( ∆),3 r ∆ 3
Γbca γ a γ b γ c = − 3 sin θ cos θ γ 1 + + 3 γ
4 2 ρ ρ 2 ρ ρ
√
iar ia ∆
+ 3 sin θ γ 1 γ 5 + 3
cos θ γ 3 γ 5 ,
2ρ 2ρ
where γ 5 = −iγ 1 γ 2 γ 3 γ 4 , while the kinetic term reads
 
a 1 1 2 1 a
γ Ψ|a = γ Ψ,1 +γ Ψ,2 + sin θΨ,4
ρ ρ sin θ ρ
√
r 2 + a2
 
∆ 3 4 a
+ γ Ψ,3 +γ √ Ψ,2 + √ Ψ,4 .
ρ ρ ∆ ρ ∆
Putting everything together, the Dirac equation (7) has the explicit form
a2
   
1 1 cot θ iar 5
γ Ψ,1 + − 3 sin θ cos θ + 3 sin θγ Ψ
ρ 2ρ 2ρ 2ρ
 
1 a
+γ 2 Ψ,2 + sin θΨ,4
ρ sin θ ρ
(√ √ √ √ ! )
3 ∆ ( ∆),3 r ∆ ia ∆ 5
+γ Ψ,3 + + + cos θγ Ψ
ρ 2ρ 2ρ3 2ρ3
r 2 + a2
 
4 a
+γ √ Ψ,2 + √ Ψ,4 − iqγ 4 A4 Ψ + µΨ = 0 , (9)
ρ ∆ ρ ∆
(c) (c)
where the proper component of the four-potential, coming from Ai dxi = A4 Ω4 , with Ai
given in (2), reads
Qr
A4 = √ . (10)
ρ ∆
For ease of calculations, the choice for γ a matrices is important and we are going to
employ the Weyl’s representation

γ µ = −iβ αµ , γ 4 = −iβ , (11)

5
with    
µ σµ 0 0 −I
α = , β= ,
0 −σ µ −I 0
so that  
5 1 2 3 4 I 0
γ = −iγ γ γ γ = .
0 −I
Thus, for the bi-spinor written in terms of two components spinors as
 
ζ
Ψ= , (12)
η

the general equation (9) leads to the following system of coupled equations for the spinors ζ
and η:
     
1 1 cot θ ia sin θ 2 1 a
σ ζ,1 + + ρ+ ζ + σ ζ,2 + sin θζ,4
ρ 2ρ 2ρ3 ρ sin θ ρ
"√ √ √ ! #
∆ ( ∆),3 ∆
+σ 3 ζ,3 + + 3 ρ+ ζ
ρ 2ρ 2ρ
a r 2 + a2
+ √ ζ,2 + √ ζ,4 −iqA4 ζ − iµη = 0 (13)
ρ ∆ ρ ∆
and
     
1 1 cot θ ia sin θ 2 1 a
σ η,1 + − ρ− η + σ η,2 + sin θη,4
ρ 2ρ 2ρ3 ρ sin θ ρ
"√ √ √ ! #
∆ ( ∆),3 ∆
+σ 3 η,3 + + 3 ρ− η
ρ 2ρ 2ρ
a r2 + a2
− √ η,2 − √ η,4 +iqA4 η + iµζ = 0 , (14)
ρ ∆ ρ ∆
where ρ± = r ± ia cos θ and ρ2 = ρ+ ρ− .
Due to the time independence and symmetry of the spacetime, we can assume that the
wave function can be written as
−1/2 i(mϕ−ωt) −1/2 i(mϕ−ωt)
ζ = ∆−1/4 ρ− e X(ρ, θ) , η = ∆−1/4 ρ+ e Y (ρ, θ) , (15)
−1/2
where the factors ∆−1/4 ρ± have been introduced in order to pull some terms out of equa-
tions (13) and (14).
With the new functions X(ρ, θ) and Y (ρ, θ), the equations (13) and (14) can be put into
the transparent form
√
σ 1 Dθ X + iσ 2 HX + σ 3 ∆X,3 +iKX − iµρ− Y = 0 ,
√
σ 1 Dθ Y + iσ 2 HY + σ 3 ∆Y,3 −iKY + iµρ+ X = 0 , (16)

6
where we have introduced the operators
∂ cot θ m
Dθ = + , H= − ωa sin θ ,
∂θ 2 sin θ
1 
K = √ ma − ω(r2 + a2 ) − qQr .

(17)
∆
Finally, by applying the separation ansatz

X1 = R1 (r)T1 (θ) , X2 = R2 (r)T2 (θ) , Y1 = R2 (r)T1 (θ) , Y2 = R1 (r)T2 (θ) , (18)

one gets the system

h√ i
R1 [Dθ − H] T1 − T2 ∆∂r − iK R2 − iµρ− R1 T2 = 0
h√ i
R2 [Dθ + H] T2 + T1 ∆∂r + iK R1 − iµρ− R2 T1 = 0
h√ i
R2 [Dθ − H] T1 − T2 ∆∂r + iK R1 + iµρ+ R2 T2 = 0
h√ i
R1 [Dθ + H] T2 + T1 ∆∂r − iK R2 + iµρ+ R1 T1 = 0 , (19)

which leads to the radial and angular equations

h√ i h√ i
∆∂r + iK R1 = (λ + iµr) R2 , ∆∂r − iK R2 = (λ − iµr) R1 ,
[Dθ − H] T1 = (λ + µa cos θ) T2 , [Dθ + H] T2 = (−λ + µa cos θ) T1 , (20)

where λ is a separation constant.

The first-order angular equations may be combined to obtain the so-called Chandrasekhar-
Page angular equation and have been discussed in detail in [37].
From the radial equations in (20), one gets the following second order differential equation
for the R1 component:
 
00 iµ∆
∆R1 + r − M − R10
λ + iµr
" √ #
√ µK ∆
+ i ∆K 0 + + K 2 − λ2 − µ2 r2 R1 = 0 , (21)
λ + iµr

and i → −i, for R2 .

Similar relations have been obtained in [21], by a different approach, namely using the
Newman–Penrose formalism. In the generalised Kinnersley frame, the null tetrad have been
constructed directly from the tangent vectors of the principal null geodesics. Even though
the radial and angular equations coming from (20) have been reduced to generalised Heun
differential equations [18], [19], the solutions are not physically transparent since they look

7
quite complicated and there are many open questions especially related to their normalization
or to the behavior around the singular points.
However, for large values of the coordinate r, the equation (21), with K given in (17),
reads
a2 + Q2
   
2M 00
2
r 1− R1 + M − R10
r r
Ω2 r 3
 
2iΩr(r − M ) 2 2 2
+ −2iωr − iqQ + + − λ − µ r R1 = 0 , (22)
r − 2M r − 2M

with the notation

qQ a2  m
Ω=ω+ + 2 ω− , (23)
r r a
where one may identify the fermion’s quanta energy, ω, the standard Coulomb energy, qQ/r,
and the internal centrifugal energy with the quantum resonant correction, i.e. ω − m/a.
To first order in a, meaning a slowly rotating object, for which
qQ ma
Ω≈ω+ − 2 , (24)
r r
and  2
2 qQ 2ωma
Ω ≈ ω+ − ,
r r2
the solutions of (22) are given in terms of the Heun Confluent functions [18], [19] as:
1 γ
n h r i
R1 ∼ eipr (r − 2M ) 4 + 2 r3/4 C1 rβ/2 HeunC α, β, γ, δ, η,
2Mio
−β/2
h r
+ C2 r HeunC α, −β, γ, δ, η, (25)
2M
with the parameters written in the physical transparent form as:
r
9 2ima 3 2ima
α = 4ipM , β = − ≈ − ,
4 M 2 3M
" 2 #1/2
i 3
γ = 4iM Ω∗ + + ≈ 4iM Ω∗ ,
4M 64M 2
µ2
   
2 qQ 5
δ = 8M ω ω + − , η = − λ2 , (26)
2M 2 8

where p2 = ω 2 − µ2 and Ω∗ is the energy computed on the Schwarzschild horizon, i.e.

qQ ma
Ω∗ = ω + − .
2M 4M 2
The second component, R2 , is given by the complex conjugated expression of (25).

8
 One may notice that, for ∆ ≈ r(r − 2M ) and ρ+ ≈ ρ− ≈ r, the first component in ζ
defined in (15) reads
ζ1 = eαx/2 eimϕ e−iωt (x − 1)γ/2 x±β/2 HeunC [α, ± β, γ, δ, η, x] ,
with x = r/(2M ).
Moreover, since |R1 |2 = |R2 |2 , the modal radial current (of quantum origin), computed
as
jr = iΨ̄γ 3 Ψ = Ψ† α3 Ψ = ζ † σ 3 ζ − η † σ 3 η ,
vanishes. The only non-vanishing component is the azimuthal one, which is given by the
expression
jϕ = iΨ̄γ 2 Ψ = Im eαx (x − 1)γ xβ HeunC [α, β, γ, δ, η, x]2 T1 T2
 
   
3/2 2ima 2
= x Im exp 4ipM x + 4iM Ω∗ ln(x − 1) − ln(x) [HeunC] T1 T2
3M
(27)
The current has the generic representation given in the figure 1, for x > 1, i.e. r > 2M .
One may notice the oscillating behavior, with both positive and negative regions, vanishing
at infinity. Also, there is a dominant positive maximum, just after the (Schwarzschild)
horizon r = 2M of the slowly rotating black hole, where the Heun functions have a regular
singularity.
For the asymptotic behavior in the neighborhood of the singular point at infinity, where
the two solutions of the confluent Heun equation exist, one may use the formula [23]
β+γ+2 δ β+γ+2 δ
HeunC [α, β, γ, δ, η, x] ≈ D1 x−[ 2 + α ] + D2 e−αx x−[ 2 − α ]
αx β+γ+2
n αx δ αx δ
o
= e− 2 x− 2 D1 e 2 x− α + D2 e− 2 x α
 
− αx − β+γ+2 iαx iδ
= De 2 x 2 sin − + ln x + σ , (28)
2 α
so that the two independent solutions in (25) are given by the simple expression
µ2
     
2M qQ  r 
R1 = D sin pr + ω ω+ − log +σ , (29)
p 2M 2 2M
p
where σ(ω) is the phase shift, D = const and p = ω 2 − µ2 .
Thus, the first component of Ψ defined in (12), (15) and (18) has the following (physical)
behavior for large r values
R1 i(mϕ−ωt)
ζ1 ≈ e T1 (θ) ,
r
and similarly for the other three spinor’s component built with (18).
Such analytical solutions of the radial part of the Dirac equation, computed far from the
black hole, are useful to investigate the scattering of charged massive fermions.

9
 Figure 1: The radial part of the current (27), for x > 1.

3 The Massless Case

3.1 The Kerr metric
In the particular case of massless fermions, the Dirac equation can be solved exactly, its
solutions being given by the Heun Confluent functions.
In view of the analyzis presented in the previous section, for µ = 0, the system (20) gets
the simplified form
h√ i h√ i
∆∂r + iK0 R1 = λR2 , ∆∂r − iK0 R2 = λR1 ,
[Dθ − H] T1 = λT2 , [Dθ + H] T2 = −λT1 , (30)

which firstly leads to the radial Teukolsky equations

h √ i
00 0
∆RA + (r − M ) RA + ± i ∆K00 + K02 − λ2 RA = 0 , (31)

where A = 1, 2, the prime denotes the derivative with respect to r and K0 can be written
from (17) putting q = 0.
The corresponding solutions can be expressed in terms of Heun Confluent functions [18],

10
[19] as

R1 = ∆1/4 eαz/2 (z − 1)γ/2 × C1 z β/2 HeunC[α, β, γ, δ, η, z]



+ C2 z −β/2 HeunC[α, −β, γ, δ, η, z] ,

(32)

of variable
r − r−
z= ,
r+ − r−
√
where r± = M ± M 2 − a2 are the outer and inner horizons and parameters
1 2i
α = 2iω (r+ − r− ) , β = + (2ωM r− − ma) ,
2 (r+ − r− )
1 2i
γ=− + (2ωM r+ − ma) , δ = ω(4M ω − i)(r+ − r− ) ,
2 (r+ − r− )
2a2  m 2 3
η = ω(4M ω − i)r− − 2ω 2 a2 − 2 2
ωa − − λ2 + . (33)
M −a 2 8
For the case under consideration with a < M , the two horizons are real, while for an
overspinning Kerr spacetime with a > M , the quantities r+ and r− are complex. The
solutions to Heun’s Confluent equations are computed as power series expansions around
the regular singular point z = 0, i.e. r = r− . The series converges for z < 1, where the
second regular singularity is located. An analytic continuation of the HeunC function is
obtained by expanding the solution around the regular singularity z = 1 (i.e. r = r+ ), and
overlapping the series.
For the polynomial form of the Heun functions, one has to impose the necessary condition
[18], [19]  
δ β+γ
=− n+1+ ,
α 2
which gives us the resonant frequencies associated with the massless fermion.
In view of the parameters in (33), it turns out that only the component multiplied by C1
gets a polynomial expression, the energy ω having the real and imaginary parts given by
 
ma 1 r+ − r−
ωR = , ωI = n + , (34)
r− (r+ + r− ) 2 2r− (r+ + r− )

where m and n are the azimuthal and the principal quantum numbers.
To first order in a2 /M 2 , the above expressions become
 
m 1 M
ωR ≈ , ωI ≈ n + , (35)
a 2 a2

and they depend only on the BH parameters.

11
 Next, for a polynomial which truncates at the order n, once we set the n + 1 coefficient
in the series expansion to vanish, we get the separation constant λ expressed in terms of the
black hole’s parameters.
For the asymptotic behavior at infinity, one may use the formula (28) and the expression
(32) turns into the simplified form

∆1/4
   
i  r 
R1 ≈ sin ωr + 2ωM − log +σ
r 2 2M
∆1/4 n h  r  io
≈ √ exp i ωr + 2ωM log +σ , (36)
r 2M
where σ(ω) is the phase shift.
In order to study the radiation emitted by the black hole, one has to write down the wave
function components near the exterior horizon, r → r+ . Using (32), for z → 1, the (radial)
components of Ψ defined in (12), (15) and (18) can be writte as
i
(2ωM r+ −ma)
Ψout ∼ e−iωt (r − r+ ) r+ −r− (37)

By definition, the component ψout near the event horizon should asymptotically have the
form [23]
i
(ω−ωh )
Ψout ∼ (r − rh ) 2κh (38)
and the scattering probability at the exterior event horizon surface is given by
 Ψout (r > r+ ) 2
   
2π
Γ=   = exp − (ω − ωh ) . (39)
Ψout (r < r+ )  κh
In our case, using the explicit expressions
√
r+ − r− M 2 − a2 ma
κh = = √ , ωh = , (40)
4M r+ 2M (M + M 2 − a2 ) 2M r+
we get the Bose–Einstein distribution for the emitted particles
Γ 1
N= = ω ,
1−Γ λe T − 1
with √
κh M 2 − a2
T = = √ (41)
2π 4πM (M + M 2 − a2 )
and    
ωh 4πma
λ = exp −2π = exp − .
κh r+ − r−
One may notice that the expression of the temperature (41) agrees with the one obtained
following the usual thermodynamical procedure. Thus, by using the formula of the entropy

12
  2  √
S = π r+ + a2 , with r+ = M + M 2 − a2 , and a = J/M , we express the mass in terms of
the entropy as
2
1/2
+ a2 πJ 2

r+ S
M= = +
2r+ 4π S
and compute the temperature on the event horizon as the following derivative
1/2
S 2 − 4π 2 J 2

∂M S
T = = √
∂S 4 πS 2 S 2 + 4π 2 J 2
2
√
r+ − a2 M 2 − a2
= 2
= . (42)
4πr+ (r+ + a2 ) 4πM r+
The corresponding heat capacity at constant angular momentum, i.e.
2
2S(S 4 − 16π 4 J 4 ) − a2 )(r+
2
+ a2 ) 2
 
∂S 2π(r+
CJ = T =− 4 = 2 2 4
, (43)
∂T J S − 24π 2 J 2 S 2 − 48π 4 J 4 3a4 + 6r+ a − r+
is positive for the following range of the parameter a/M :
h √ i1/2 a
2 3−3 < < 1,
M
for which the thermal system is stable on the event horizon.
 √ 1/2
For a slowly rotating black hole with a/M < 2 3 − 3 , the heat capacity becomes
negative, corresponding to a thermodynamically unstable phase.
A particular value of a/M where the Kerr–Newman black hole undergoes a phase transi-
tion and the heat capacity has an infinite discontinuity was found many years ago by Davies
[24].
Secondly, the angular equations coming from the system (20), i.e.
cot2 θ 1
 
00 0 0 2 2
TA + cot θTA + − − ∓ H − H + λ TA = 0 , (44)
4 2
where prime means the derivative with respect to θ, for ξ = cos θ, is the spheroidal Teukolsky
equation. However, for y = cos2 2θ , the solutions are given by the Heun Confluent functions
as
 γ (  β
ωa cos θ θ θ
T1 = e cos C1 sin HeunC[α, β, γ, δ, η, y]
2 2
 −β )
θ
+C2 sin HeunC[α, −β, γ, δ, η, y] (45)
2
and similarly for T2 , with the real parameters
1 1
α = 4ωa , β = m + , γ = m − , δ = −2ωa ,
2 2
2
m 3
η = (1 − 2m)ωa − λ2 + + . (46)
2 8

13
As expected, for given parameters of the black hole (M, a), the Dirac solutions are enu-
merated by the halfinteger positive multipole number m ± 1/2. Since β is not integer, the
two functions in (45) form linearly independent solutions of the confluent Heun differential
equation.
Similar expressions have been obtained for the solutions of the Klein-Gordon equation
describing a charged massive scalar field in the Kerr-Newman spacetime [23], [41].
Up to a normalization constant A, the first component of Ψ defined in (12), (15) and
(18) has the following behavior for large r values

A n h  r  io
Ψ1 ≈ exp i ωr + 2ωM log +σ ei(mϕ−ωt) T1 (θ) , (47)
r 2M
while the other components can be easily built using the relations (18).
r


Let us notice that, by introducing the new coordinate r∗ = r + 2M log 2M , the radial
part of the above component has the form obtained by Starobinsky, for the Klein–Gordon
equation in the Kerr metric, [38], namely
1  iωr∗
+ Be−iωr∗ ,

R∼ Ae
r
where A and B are for the incident and reflected wave coefficients, respectively.

3.2 The extreme Kerr metric

The extreme Kerr metric can be easily written from (1), by setting the Kerr parameter a
equal to M , so that there is a single (degenerate) horizon at r = M with zero Hawking
temperature and horizon angular velocity ΩH = 1/(2M ). Thus, for the massless case, the
radial equation (31) has the same form, but with ∆ = (r − M )2 and

mM − ω(r2 + M 2 )
K0 = .
r−M
The solutions are given by the Heun Double Confluent functions [18], [19] as being
  
ikM
R1 ∼ C1 exp −iω(r − M ) − HeunD [α, β, γ, δ, ζ]
r−M
  
ikM
+ C2 exp iω(r − M ) + HeunD [−α, β, γ, δ, ζ] (48)
r−M

with q
kM
 m  r − M + i ω
k = 2M ω − , ζ= q (49)
2M r − M − i kM ω

14
and the parameters
√ √
α = −8i ωkM , β = −32ωM ωkM + 16ω 2 M 2 − 4λ2 ,
√
γ = 2α , δ = −32ωM ωkM − 16ω 2 M 2 + 4λ2 . (50)

Usually, the double confluent Heun functions are obtained from the confluent ones,
through an additional confluence process [18], [19].
One may notice that, for ωm = m/(2M ) and r = M , one has to deal with the irregular
singularities, at ζ = ±1. For ω < m/(2M ), the variable in (49) is real.

4 Conclusions
Since the pioneering works of Teukolsky [2] and Chandrasekhar [5] the study of the solutions
of the massive Dirac equation in the background of an electrically charged black hole has a
long history.
The method used in the present paper, while based on Cartan’s formalism with an
orthonormal base, is an alternative to the Newman-Penrose (NP) formalism [12], which is
usually employed for solving Dirac equation describing fermions in the vicinity of different
types of black holes.
The solutions to the radial Teukolsky equations (31), with two regular singularities at
r = r± and an irregular singularity at r = ∞, have been written in the form of series of
hypergeometric functions [4]. Similar expressions as the ones in (32) have been found for
the exact solutions of the Teukolsky master equation for electromagnetic perturbations of
the Kerr metric [39] and in the study of bosons in a Kerr–Sen black hole [40].
By imposing the necessary condition for a polynomial form of the Heun confluent func-
tions [18], [19], we get the resonant frequencies, which are of a crucial importance for getting
information on the black holes interacting with different quantum fields [23].
By identifying the out modes near the r+ horizon, one is able to compute the scattering
probability (39) and the Bose–Einstein distribution of the emitted particles. For a = 0, we
identify the expected Hawking black body radiation and the Hawking temperature Th =
1/(8πM ). It is worth mentioning that, for computing the temperature on the event horizon,
we have used the analytical solutions of the Dirac equation, expressed in terms of Heun
functions, as an alternative method to the one usually emploied in literature. The expression
(41) agrees with the one obtained in other works devoted to the thermodynamics of Kerr-
Newman black hole, as for example in [42], [43].

15
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