Investigation of Circular Photon Orbits in Naked Singularity Spacetimes from a Geometric Method
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Circular photon orbits play a pivotal role in both gravitational theories and astronomical observations. However, the properties of circular photon orbits in naked singularity spacetimes remain insufficiently explored and deserve in-depth investigation. The present work is dedicated to a comprehensive study of the features of circular photon orbits in naked singularity spacetimes. Notably, a geometric approach is employed to investigate these orbits, in which the framework of optical geometry together with its intrinsic curvatures plays a crucial role. We analyze the existence of circular photon orbits through the intrinsic geodesic curvature, and then examine the numbers of stable and unstable circular orbits, as well as the topological invariant associated with circular photon orbits. By examining various classes of naked singularity spacetimes, we obtain a general conclusion regarding circular photon orbits that holds for the most of spherically symmetric naked singularity spacetimes: the total number of circular photon orbits is an even integer ($\textit{N} = \text{2}\textit{k}$), consisting of $\textit{k}$ stable orbits and $\textit{k}$ unstable orbits in equal proportion. A mathematical proof of this conclusion is also provided in the present work. Furthermore, a comparison with other categories of spacetimes reveals that the conclusions regarding the number of circular photon orbits in naked singularity spacetimes agree with those obtained for compact object spacetimes without naked singularities, indicating that the number of circular photon orbits is primarily governed by the presence of event horizons rather than spacetime singularities. Keywords: Circular Photon Orbit, Naked Singularity Spacetime, Optical Geometry, Geometric Curvatures
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Authors: Xie, Qing-Rong, Qiao, Chen-Kai
Institution: Chongqing University of Technology
Language: English
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: G2796437284, G339179715, G559617310
OpenAlex ID: W7202362634