Global decomposition of a Lorentzian manifold as a Generalized Robertson-Walker space

Generalized Robertson-Walker (GRW) spaces constitute a quite important family in Lorentzian geometry, and it is an interesting question to know whether a Lorentzian manifold can be decomposed in such a way. It is well known that the existence of a suitable vector field guaranties the local decomposition of the manifold. In this paper, we give conditions on the curvature which ensure a global decomposition and apply them to several situations where local decomposition appears naturally. We also study the uniqueness question, obtaining that the de Sitter spaces are the only nontrivial complete Lorentzian manifolds with more than one GRW decomposition. Moreover, we show that the Friedmann Cosmological Models admit an unique GRW decomposition, even locally.     

On the pseudohermitian sectional curvature of a strictly pseudoconvex CR manifold

We show that the pseudohermitian sectional curvature Hθ(σ) of a contact form θ on a strictly pseudoconvex CR manifold M measures the difference between the lengths of a circle in a plane tangent at a point of M and its projection on M by the exponential map associated to the Tanaka-Webster connection of (M,θ). Any Sasakian manifold (M,θ) whose pseudohermitian sectional curvature Kθ(σ) is a point function is shown to be Tanaka-Webster flat, and hence a Sasakian space form of φ-sectional curvature c=−3. We show that the Lie algebra i(M,θ) of all infinitesimal pseudohermitian transformations on a strictly pseudoconvex CR manifold M of CR dimension n has dimension ?²(n+1) and if dimRi(M,θ)=²(n+1) then Hθ(σ)= constant.     

Lorentzian geometry of CR submanifolds

This paper deals with Cauchy-Riemann (CR) submanifolds and their interaction with relativity. We lay the foundations of Lorentz CR submanifolds followed by some new applicable results. In particular, we study a new class of CR submanifolds with light-like distributions whose local geometry is quite different from what is known on this subject. Finally, we propose a research problem related to pseudo-conformal mappings and relativity. The paper contains several new results of geometric/physical significance.     

Lorentzian geometry of globally framed manifolds

A new class of globally framed manifolds (carrying a Lorentz metric) is introduced to establish a relation between the spacetime geometry and framed structures. We show that strongly causal (in particular, globally hyperbolic) spacetimes can carry a regular framed structure. As examples, we present a class of spacetimes of general relativity, having an electromagnetic field, endowed with a framed structure and a causal spacetime with a nonregular contact structure. This paper opens a few new problems, of geometric/physical significance, for further study.     

Uniqueness of Lorentzian Hopf tori

We prove that Lorentzian Hopf tori are the only immersed Lorentzian flat tori in a wide family of Lorentzian three-dimensional Killing submersions with periodic timelike orbits.     

Comparison results for the volume of geodesic celestial spheres in Lorentzian manifolds

Volume comparison results are obtained for the volume of geodesic celestial spheres in Lorentzian manifolds and the corresponding objects in Lorentzian space forms. Also, as a rigidity result it is shown that the volume of geodesic celestial spheres is independent of the instantaneous observer if and only if the spacetime has constant curvature.     

On partially null and pseudo null curves in the semi-euclidean space R^{4}_{2}

In this paper, we obtain the Frenet equations of a pseudo null and a partially null curves, lying fully in the semi–Euclidean space , and classify all such curves with constant curvatures.     

Lorentzian Geometry of the Heisenberg Group

In this work we prove the existence of totally geodesic two-dimensional foliation on the Lorentzian Heisenberg group H ₃. We determine the Killing vector fields and the Lorentzian geodesics on H ₃.     

Dynamical properties of the space of Lorentzian metrics

We study the mechanisms of the non properness of the action of the group of diffeomorphisms on the space of Lorentzian metrics of a compact manifold. In particular, we prove that nonproperness entails the presence of lightlike geodesic foliations of codimension 1. On the 2-torus, we prove that a metric with constant curvature along one of its lightlike foliation is actually flat. This allows us to show that the restriction of the action to the set of non-flat metrics is proper and that on the set of flat metrics of volume 1 the action is ergodic. Finally, we show that, contrarily to the Riemannian case, the space of metrics without isometries is not always open.     

Conformal holonomy of C-spaces, Ricci-flat, and Lorentzian manifolds

The main result of this paper is that a Lorentzian manifold is locally conformally equivalent to a manifold with recurrent lightlike vector field and totally isotropic Ricci tensor if and only if its conformal tractor holonomy admits a 2-dimensional totally isotropic invariant subspace. Furthermore, for semi-Riemannian manifolds of arbitrary signature we prove that the conformal holonomy algebra of a C-space is a Berger algebra. For Ricci-flat spaces we show how the conformal holonomy can be obtained by the holonomy of the ambient metric and get results for Riemannian manifolds and plane waves.     

CR-structures and Lorentzian geometry

As a recent excellent example of mutual interplay between the Cauchy-Riemann structure and physical spacetime geometry, we present, in this paper, a few fresh ideas on this fruitful relationship with respect to the conformal geometry and the groups of motions of Lorentzian manifolds.     

Conformal geometry of surfaces in Lorentzian space forms

We study the conformal geometry of an oriented space-like surface in three-dimensional Lorentzian space forms. After introducing the conformal compactification of the Lorentzian space forms, we define the conformal Gauss map which is a conformally invariant two parameter family of oriented spheres. We use the area of the conformal Gauss map to define the Willmore functional and derive a Bernstein type theorem for parabolic Willmore surfaces. Finally, we study the stability of maximal surfaces for the Willmore functional.Dedicated to Professor T.J. WillmoreSupported by an FPPI Postdoctoral Grant from DGICYT Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia, Spain 1994 and by a DGICYT Grant No. PB94-0750-C02-02     

A sphere theorem for submanifolds in a manifold with pinched positive curvature

In this paper, we prove a sphere theorem for submanifolds in a Riemannian manifold with pinched positive curvature. This result generalizes a recent result of Leung.Supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China     

Kähler manifolds of quasi-constant holomorphic sectional curvature

In correspondence with the manifolds of quasi-constant sectional curvature defined (cf [5], [9]) in the Riemannian context, we introduce in the K?hlerian framework the geometric notion of quasi-constant holomorphic sectional curvature. Some characterizations and properties are given. We obtain necessary and sufficient conditions for these manifolds to be locally symmetric, Ricci or Bochner flat, K?hler η-Einstein or K?hler-Einstein, etc. The characteristic classes are studied at the end and some examples are provided throughout.      

On causality and closed geodesics of compact Lorentzian manifolds and static spacetimes

Some results related to the causality of compact Lorentzian manifolds are proven: (1) any compact Lorentzian manifold which admits a timelike conformal vector field is totally vicious, and (2) a compact Lorentzian manifold covered regularly by a globally hyperbolic spacetime admits a timelike closed geodesic, if some natural topological assumptions (fulfilled, for example, if one of the conjugacy classes of deck transformations containing a closed timelike curve is finite) hold. As a consequence, any compact Lorentzian manifold conformal to a static spacetime is geodesically connected by causal geodesics, and admits a timelike closed geodesic.     

Almost Hermitian 4-manifolds of pointwise constant anti-holomorphic sectional curvature

We show that a 4-dimensional almost Hermitian manifold (M, J, g) is of pointwise constant anti-holomorphic sectional curvature if and only if (M, J, g) is self-dual with J-invariant Ricci tensor and K₁₂₁₂ = 0, where K is the complexification of the Riemannian curvature tensor.     

Ricci flat metrics with bidimensional null orbits and non-integrable orthogonal distribution

We study Ricci flat 4-metrics of any signature under the assumption that they allow a Lie algebra of Killing fields with 2-dimensional orbits along which the metric degenerates and whose orthogonal distribution is not integrable. It turns out that locally there is a unique (up to a sign) metric which satisfies the conditions. This metric is of signature (++−−) and, moreover, homogeneous possessing a 6-dimensional symmetry algebra.