Black holes with vector hair

Abstract

In this paper, we consider Einstein gravity coupled to a vector field, either minimally or non-minimally, together with a vector potential of the type \(V=2\Lambda_0+\ft 12 m^2 A^2+\gamma_4 A^4\). For a simpler non-minimally coupled theory with \(\Lambda_0=m=\gamma_4=0\), we obtain both extremal and non-extremal black hole solutions that are asymptotic to Minkowski space-times. We study the global properties of the solutions and derive the first law of thermodynamics using Wald formalism. We find that the thermodynamical first laws of the extremal black holes are modified by a one form associated with the vector field. In particular, due to the existence of the non-minimal coupling, the vector forms thermodynamic conjugates with the graviton mode and partly contributes to the one form modifying the first laws. For a minimally coupled theory with \(\Lambda_0\neq 0\), we also obtain one class of asymptotically flat extremal black hole solutions in general dimensions. This is possible because the parameters \((m^2,\gamma_4)\) take certain values such that \(V=0\). In particular, we find that the vector also forms thermodynamic conjugates with the graviton mode and contributes to the corresponding first laws, although the non-minimal coupling has been turned off. Thus all the extremal black hole solutions that we obtain provide highly non-trivial examples how the first law of thermodynamics can be modified by a either minimally or non-minimally coupled vector field. We also study Gauss-Bonnet gravity non-minimally coupled to a vector and obtain asymptotically flat black holes and Lifshitz black holes.