New solutions of the Ermakov-Pinney equation in curved spacetime

An Ermakov-Pinney-like equation associated with the scalar wave equation in curved space-time is here studied. The example of Schwarzschild space-time considered in the present work shows that this equation can be viewed more as a "model equation," with interesting applications in black hole physics. Other applications studied involve cosmological space-times (de Sitter) and pulse of plane gravitational waves: in all these cases the evolution of the Ermakov-Pinney field seems to be consistent with a rapid blow-up, unlike the Schwarzschild case where spatially damped oscillations are allowed. Eventually, the phase function is also evaluated in many of the above space-time models.