18–19 Nov 2025
Chalmers University of Technology
Europe/Stockholm timezone

A spacetime interpretation to the confluent Heun functions in Black Hole Perturbation Theory

18 Nov 2025, 14:00
15m
Oral presentation Frontiers of Physics

Speaker

Marica Minucci (Niels Bohr Institute)

Description

In Black Hole Perturbation Theory (BHPT), confluent Heun functions emerge as solutions to the radial Teukolsky equation, which governs the dynamics of perturbations in black hole spacetimes. While these functions have traditionally been studied for their analytic properties, their connection to the underlying spacetime geometry has been less explored. In this talk, I will present a spacetime interpretation of the confluent Heun functions, showing how their distinctive behaviour near their singular points reflects the structure of key surfaces in Kerr spacetimes. Additionally, I will explore their relationship with solutions to the radial Teukolsky equation in compactified hyperboloidal coordinates.

Author

Marica Minucci (Niels Bohr Institute)

Co-author

Dr Rodrigo Panosso Macedo (Niels Bohr Institute)

Presentation materials