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1 answer
279 views

On intersection of null geodesics

Let us consider a globally hyperbolic Lorentzian manifold $(M,g)$ with empty cut locus. Suppose that $p$ is a point in $M$ and consider $C^-(p)$ to be the past null cone in $M$ emanating from the ...
2 votes
2 answers
148 views

Is any globally-hyperbolic manifold conformally equivalent to one with complete slices?

Let $(M,g)$ be a globally-hyperbolic Lorentzian manifold. By the seminal work of Geroch and Bernal-Sánchez, we know that $$M=\mathbb{R}\times\Sigma,\,\,\,\quad g=-\beta^{2}dt^{2}+h_{t}$$ where $\Sigma$...
2 votes
2 answers
233 views

Lower bound for domain of exponential map on Lorentzian manifolds

Let $M$ denote a manifold admitting a Lorentzian metric $g_{ab}$. Essentially, I would like to know the "minimum domain" on which the exponential map is defined at $p\in M$. To make this concrete, ...
1 vote
1 answer
254 views

Transporting a Cauchy foliation of Minkowski space

Consider a spacetime $(\zeta^{3,1},g)$ where $$g=\frac{du\,dv}{uv}-\frac{dr^2}{r^2}-\frac{dw^2}{w^2} \quad \forall u,v,r,w \in (0,1)$$ Now this is just Minkowski space in different coordinates (...
4 votes
1 answer
377 views

Metric with a constant Chern–Pontryagin scalar

Do there exist 3+1 dimensional spacetimes (i.e. Lorentzian manifolds with signaure (1,3)), for which the Chern–Pontryagin scalar \begin{equation} K_2= \epsilon^{\mu\nu\rho\sigma}R^{\alpha}{}_{\beta\mu\...
19 votes
1 answer
454 views

Lorentzian analogue to Thurston geometries

Is there an analogue to the eight Thurston geometries for Lorentz metrics? If so, how many "disctinct" geometries are there in the Lorentzian case? And which closed 3-manifolds admit metrics which ...
2 votes
1 answer
562 views

Induced connection on null hypersurfaces

I will use a local coordinate formalism here, since this is related to research in general relativity, and my supervisor only tolerates local coordinate formalisms. Plus the research papers I base my ...
1 vote
0 answers
66 views

A question on future Cauchy developement

Let us consider the Minkowski spacetime $\mathbb R^{1+2}$ equipped with the metric $$ \eta(t,x) = -(dt)^2+ (dx^1)^2+(dx^2)^2.$$ Let $\Omega$ be a bounded simply connected domain in $\mathbb R^2$ with ...
2 votes
0 answers
48 views

On certain umbilic surfaces

Let $(M,g)$ be a three dimensional Lorentzian manifold with signature $(-,+,+)$ and let $p\in M$ and let $U$ be a small neighborhood of $p$. Suppose there is a smooth timelike surface $S$ containing $...
3 votes
0 answers
61 views

Searching for a type of geometric flow in Lorentzian geometry

Let $(N,g)$ be a globally hyperbolic Lorentzian manifold. Given any smooth hypersurface $\Sigma$ in $(N,g)$ we define $\|\Sigma\|= \sup_{p \in N,X \in T_p\Sigma} |h(X,X)|$ where $h$ is the second ...
3 votes
1 answer
195 views

A question on Levi-Civita connection and a fixed hyper surface

Suppose $(M,g)$ is a three dimensional smooth compact simply connected Riemannian manifold with boundary and suppose that $\Sigma$ is a smooth simply connected hypersurface in $M$ with a smooth ...
4 votes
1 answer
248 views

A question on null geodesics in Lorentzian geometry

Suppose that $(M,g)$ is a smooth Lorentzian manifold, that $I\subset \mathbb R$ is a closed finite interval and that $\gamma: I \to M$ is a smooth null geodesic on $M$, that is to say, it satisfies $$ ...
3 votes
1 answer
239 views

A question on light cones in Lorentzian manifolds with timelike boundary

Suppose $M= \mathbb R \times M_0$ with a Lorentzian metric $g(t,x)=-dt^2+ g_0(t,x)$ where $M_0$ is a compact manifold with a smooth boundary and $g_0$ is a family of smooth Riemannian metrics on $M_0$ ...
1 vote
0 answers
336 views

Conformal changes of metric and Ricci curvature

Let $(M,g)$ be a three dimensional smooth Lorentzian manifold and let $p$ be a fixed point in $M$ and let $S$ be a smooth symmetric tensor of rank two on $T_pM\times T_pM$. Does there exist a smooth ...
0 votes
1 answer
114 views

Globally hyperbolic spacetimes and future Cauchy developement

Let $(M,g)$ be a globally hyperbolic Lorentzian spacetime with a non-compact Cauchy hypersurface $S \subset M$. Let $ \Omega \Subset S$ be an open subset. Is it true that the future Cauchy development ...
3 votes
0 answers
125 views

Lorentzian manifolds of negative spacelike sectional curvature

Suppose $(M,g)$ is a simply connected Lorentzian manifold of signature $(-,+,\ldots,+)$ and such that the sectional curvature of any space-like surface is non-positive. Is it true that there are no ...
2 votes
3 answers
800 views

Tensor Field Decomposition in Space time

For vector fields in $R^3$ one knows that there exists a unique decomposition of vector fields in to solenoidal (divergence free) and potential parts. A generalization of this Theorem for symmetric ...
3 votes
1 answer
151 views

Existence of transverse null vector bundle in a degenerate Lorentzian hypersurface

This question is cross-posted at https://math.stackexchange.com/questions/3234895/existence-of-transverse-null-vector-bundle Let $(M,g)$ be a Lorentzian manifold. Let $\dim(M)=d$. Given a null ...
2 votes
1 answer
313 views

$(M,g)$ is complete iff $(\tilde{M},\tilde{g})$ is complete (non-Riemannian version)

I'm not sure if this question is too low level for Math Overflow (so feel free to move this to SE if you think it is). Inspired by this and this question I'm wondering if the following statement is ...
6 votes
0 answers
532 views

Time-separation function on "globally hyperbolic" spacetimes with everywhere timelike boundary

It is well-known that, in globally hyperbolic spacetimes, the time separation function $\tau$ (aka Lorentzian distance function) enjoys the following property: fix a point $p$ and a point $q \in I^-(p)...