Quasinormal modes of Reissner–Nordström–AdS: the approach to extremality

Abstract

Abstract We consider the quasinormal spectrum of scalar and axial perturbations of the Reissner–Nordström–AdS black hole as the horizon approaches extremality. By considering a foliation of the black hole by spacelike surfaces which intersect the future horizon we implement numerical methods which are well behaved up to and including the extremal limit and which admit initial data which is nontrivial at the horizon. As extremality is approached we observe a transition whereby the least damped mode ceases to be oscillatory in time, and the late time signal changes qualitatively as a consequence.