Charged fluids in higher order gravity

Abstract

We generate the field equations for a charged gravitating perfect fluid in Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet gravity for all spacetime dimensions. The spacetime is static and spherically symmetric which gives rise to the charged condition of pressure isotropy that is an Abel differential equation of the second kind. We show that this equation can be reduced to a canonical differential equation that is first order and nonlinear in nature, in higher dimensions. The canonical form admits an exact solution generating algorithm, yielding implicit solutions in general, by choosing one of the potentials and the electromagnetic field. An exact solution to the canonical equation is found that reduces to the neutral model found earlier. In addition, three new classes of solutions arise without specifying the gravitational potentials and the electromagnetic field; instead constraints are placed on the canonical differential equation. This is due to the fact that the presence of the electromagnetic field allows for a greater degree of freedom, and there is no correspondence with neutral matter. Other classes of exact solutions are presented in terms of elementary and special functions (the Heun confluent functions) when the canonical form cannot be applied.