Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This study investigates the nonlinear dynamics of a test particle near the traversable wormhole throat under an external harmonic potential. One-dimensional radial perturbation analysis shows that the particle is locally linearly stable at the equilibrium position. However, for two-dimensional and high-energy cases, the system exhibits a nonlinear response, triggering significant chaotic dynamics.The analysis indicates that, if the particle is confined on one side of the wormhole, the Poincaré section will still retain Kolmogorov–Arnold–Moser (KAM) tori under extremely high-energy conditions, which is distinct from the integrability to chaos transition triggered near the black hole event horizon under external potential.By studying another set of shape functions, the robustness of the observed phase space structure against different geometric profiles is substantiated. This research demonstrates a specific nonlinear dynamical phenomenon of the traversable wormhole. It provides a new criterion, based on chaotic dynamics, for identifying black hole mimickers in strong-field astrophysical observations.
Source: The European Physical Journal C
Authors: Xin Zhao, Xing-Kun Zhang, Ya-Peng Hu, Yu-Sen An
Institution: Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Language: English
Subfield: Nuclear and High Energy Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
Awards: G2009598421, G3636734123, G851513637
OpenAlex ID: W7167619292