The Teukolsky-Starobinsky constants: facts and fictions

Abstract

The Teukolsky master equation describes the dynamics of massless fields with spin on a Kerr black hole. Under separation of variables, spin-reversal for this equation is accomplished through the so-called Teukolsky-Starobinsky identities. These identities are associated to the so-called Teukolsky-Starobinsky constants, which are spin-dependent. We collect some properties of the Teukolsky-Starobinsky constants and dispel some myths present in the literature. We show that, contrary to popular belief, these constants can be negative for spin larger than 2. Such fields thus exhibit a novel form of energy amplification which occurs for non-superradiant frequencies.