Dynamics in wormhole spacetimes: a Jacobi metric approach

Abstract

Abstract This article deals with the study of the dynamics of particles in different wormhole geometries. Using the Jacobi metric approach we study the geodesic motion on the Morris–Thorne wormhole. We found the only stable circular orbit located at the throat. We show that the Gaussian curvature of the Jacobi metric is directly related with the wormhole flare-out condition. We provide a simple test for determining the existence of a throat in a spacetime by using the Gaussian curvature of the associated Jacobi metric only. We discuss about the trajectories in the Kepler problem in a wormhole background. Finally, we discuss about the restrictions over the stress–energy tensor imposed by the existence of elliptic orbits in the Kepler problem.