The Evolution of Radiating Stars Is Affected by Dimension

The dynamics of a radiating star in general relativity are studied in higher dimensions for a specified shear-free metric. The temporal evolution of the radiating star depends on the spacetime dimension. In particular, we show explicitly that the gravitational potential changes with increasing spacetime dimension. A detailed analysis of the boundary condition is undertaken. We find new exact solutions and first integrals for the boundary condition equation. Known results in four dimensions are regained as special cases. A phase plane analysis indicates that the model asymptotically approaches a static end state or continues to radiate. The physical features are affected by dimension, and we indicate how the luminosity changes with increasing dimension.