We consider examples of the $\mathbb H$-type groups with the natural horizontal distribution generated by the commutation relations of the group. In the contrast with the previous studies we furnish the horizontal distribution with the Lorentzian metric, which is nondegenerate metric of index 1 instead of a positive definite quadratic form. The causal character is defined. We study the reachable set by timelike future directed curves. The parametric equations of geodesics are obtained.
We consider the four-dimensional nonholonomic distribution defined by the 4-potential of the electromagnetic field on the manifold. This distribution has a metric tensor with the Lorentzian signature $(+,-,-,-)$, therefore, the causal structure appears as in the general relativity theory. By means of the Pontryagin's maximum principle we proved that the equations of the horizontal geodesics for this distribution are the same as the equations of motion of a charged particle in the general relativity theory. This is a Kaluza -- Klein problem of classical and quantum physics solved by methods of …
In 1910 E. Cartan constructed a canonical frame and found the most symmetric case for maximally nonholonomic rank 2 distributions in $\mathbb R^5$. We solve the analogous problem for germs of generic rank 2 distributions in ${\mathbb R}^n$ for n>5. We use a completely different approach based on the symplectification of the problem. The main idea is to consider a special odd-dimensional submanifold $W_D$ of the cotangent bundle associated with any rank 2 distribution D. It is naturally foliated by characteristic curves, which are also called the abnormal extremals of the distribution D. The dy…
In this paper, we study complete space-like $λ$-hypersurfaces in the Lorentzian space $\mathbb R^{n+1}_1$. As the result, we prove some rigidity theorems for these hypersurfaces including the complete space-like self-shrinkers in $\bbr^{n+1}_1$.
In this paper, we study the Lorentzian minimal surfaces in the Minkowski space-time with finite type Gauss map. First, we obtain the classification of this type of surfaces with pointwise 1-type Gauss map. Then, we proved that there are no Lorentzian minimal surface in the Minkowski space-time with null 2-type Gauss map.
In this paper we consider Lorentzian surfaces in the 4-dimensional pseudo-Riemannian sphere $\mathbb S^4_2(1)$ with index 2 of curvature one. We obtain the complete classification of minimal Lorentzian surfaces $\mathbb S^4_2(1)$ whose Gaussian and normal curvatures are constants. We conclude that such surfaces have the Gaussian curvature $1/3$ and the absolute value of normal curvature $2/3$. We also give some explicit examples.
We give a generalized Weierstrass formula for a Lorentz surface conformally immersed in the four-dimensional space $\mathbb{R}^{2,2}$ using spinors and Lorentz numbers. We also study the immersions of a Lorentzian surface in {\bf the} Anti-de Sitter space (a pseudo-sphere in $\mathbb{R}^{2,2}$): we give a new spinor representation formula and deduce the conformal description of a flat Lorentzian surface in that space.
We find a spinorial representation of a Riemannian or Lorentzian surface in a Lorentzian homogeneous space of dimension $3.$ We in particular obtain a representation theorem for surfaces in the $\mathbb{L}(κ,τ)$ spaces. We then recover the Calabi correspondence between minimal surfaces in $\mathbb{R}^3$ and maximal surfaces in $\mathbb{R}_1^3$, and obtain a new Lawson type correspondence between CMC surfaces in $\mathbb{R}_1^3$ and in the 3-dimensional pseudo-hyperbolic space $\mathbb{H}_1^{3}.$
In this paper, we study Lorentzian hypersurfaces in Minkowski 5-space with non-diagonalizable shape operator whose characteristic polinomial is $(t-k_1)^2(t-k_3)(t-k_4)$ or $(t-k_1)^3(t-k_4)$. We proved that in these cases, a hypersurface is biharmonic if and only if it is minimal.
We study the second order invariants of a Lorentzian surface in $\mathbb{R}^{2,2},$ and the curvature hyperbolas associated to its second fundamental form. Besides the four natural invariants, new invariants appear in some degenerate situations. We then introduce the Gauss map of a Lorentzian surface and give an extrinsic proof of the vanishing of the total Gauss and normal curvatures of a compact Lorentzian surface. The Gauss map and the second order invariants are then used to study the asymptotic directions of a Lorentzian surface and discuss their causal character. We also consider the rel…
In this paper we prove that the space of differential invariants for curves with arc-length parameter in the light cone of Lorentzian $\mathbb{R}^4$, invariants under the centro-affine action of the Lorentzian group, is Poisson equivalent to the space of conformal differential invariants for curves in the Möbius sphere. We use this relation to find realizations of solutions of a complexly coupled system of KdV equations as flows of curves in the cone.
In this paper, we study three types of helicoidal surfaces in a Lorentzian n--space $\mathbb{E}^n_1$. First, we find the parametrizations of spacelike loxodromes on such spacelike helicoidal surfaces in $\mathbb{E}^n_1$. Then, we make a similar classification for spacelike loxodromes on such timelike helicoidal surfaces of a Lorentzian n--space $\mathbb{E}^n_1$.
The minimal Lorentzian surfaces in $\mathbb{R}^4_2$ whose first normal space is two-dimensional and whose Gauss curvature $K$ and normal curvature $\varkappa$ satisfy $K^2-\varkappa^2 >0$ are called minimal Lorentzian surfaces of general type. These surfaces admit canonical parameters and with respect to such parameters are determined uniquely up to a motion in $\mathbb{R}^4_2$ by the curvatures $K$ and $\varkappa$ satisfying a system of two natural PDEs. In the present paper we study minimal Lorentzian surfaces in $\mathbb{R}^4_2$ and find a Weierstrass representation with respect to isotherm…
Sub-Lorentzian geodesics on ${\rm GL}^{+}(2,\mathbb{C})$ with the generating space of Hermitian matrices in the Lie algebra $\mathfrak{gl}^{+}(2,\mathbb{C})$
The notion of $Γ$-symmetric space is a natural generalization of the classical notion of symmetric space based on $\z_2$-grading of Lie algebras. In our case, we consider homogeneous spaces $G/H$ such that the Lie algebra $\g$ of $G$ admits a $Γ$-grading where $Γ$ is a finite abelian group. In this work we study Riemannian metrics and Lorentzian metrics on the Heisenberg group $\mathbb{H}_3$ adapted to the symmetries of a $Γ$-symmetric structure on $\mathbb{H}_3$. We prove that the classification of $\z_2^2$-symmetric Riemannian and Lorentzian metrics on $\mathbb{H}_3$ corresponds to the class…
In this paper we establish some parabolicity criteria for maximal surfaces immersed into a Lorentzian product space of the form $M^2\times\mathbb{R}_1$, where $M^2$ is a connected Riemannian surface with non-negative Gaussian curvature and $M^2\times\mathbb{R}_1$ is endowed with the Lorentzian product metric $<,>=<,>_M-dt^2$. In particular, and as an application of our main result, we deduce that every maximal graph over a starlike domain $Ω\subseteq M$ is parabolic. This allows us to give an alternative proof of the non-parametric version of the Calabi-Bernstein result for entire maximal grap…
We prove that an isometric immersion of a simply connected Lorentzian surface in $\mathbb{R}^{2,2}$ is equivalent to a normalised spinor field solution of a Dirac equation on the surface. Using the quaternions and the Lorentz numbers, we also obtain an explicit representation formula of the immersion in terms of the spinor field. We then apply the representation formula in $\mathbb{R}^{2,2}$ to give a new spinor representation formula for Lorentzian surfaces in 3-dimensional Minkowski space. Finally, we apply the representation formula to the local description of the flat Lorentzian surfaces w…
The holonomy group of an (n+2)-dimensional simply-connected, indecomposable but non-irreducible Lorentzian manifold (M,h) is contained in the parabolic group $(\mathbb{R} \times SO(n))\ltimes \mathbb{R}^n$. The main ingredient of such a holonomy group is the SO(n)--projection $G:=pr_{SO(n)}(Hol_p(M,h))$ and one may ask whether it has to be a Riemannian holonomy group. In this paper we show that this is always the case, completing our results of the first part math.DG/0305139. We draw consequences for the existence of parallel spinors on Lorentzian manifolds.
In this note, we construct new examples of Lorentzian Sasaki-Einstein (LSE) metrics on Smale manifolds $M.$ It has already been established in \cite{Gmz2} that such metrics exist on the so-called torsion free Smale manifolds, i.e. the $k$-fold connected sum of $S^{2}\times S^{3}.$ Now, we show that LSE metrics exist on Smale manifolds for which $H_{2}(M,\mathbb{Z})_{tor}$ is nontrivial. In particular, we show that most simply-connected positive Sasakian rational homology 5-spheres are also negative Sasakian (hence Lorentzian Sasaki-Einstein). Moreover, we show that for each pair of positive in…
If the holonomy representation of an $(n+2)$--dimensional simply-connected Lorentzian manifold $(M,h)$ admits a degenerate invariant subspace its holonomy group is contained in the parabolic group $(\mathbb{R} \times SO(n))\ltimes \mathbb{R}^n$. The main ingredient of such a holonomy group is the SO(n)--projection $G:=pr_{SO(n)}(Hol_p(M,h))$ and one may ask whether it has to be a Riemannian holonomy group. In this paper we show that this is the case if $G\subset U(n/2)$ or if the irreducible acting components of $G$ are simple.
It is proved that the holomorphic quadratic differential associated to CMC surfaces in Riemannian products $\mathbb{S}^2\times\Rr$ and $\mathbb{H}^2\times \Rr$ discovered by U. Abresch and H. Rosenberg could be obtained as a linear combination of usual Hopf differentials. Using this fact, we are able to extend it for Lorentzian products. Families of examples of helicoidal CMC surfaces on these spaces are explicitly described. We also present some characterizations of CMC rotationally invariant discs and spheres. Finally, after establish some height and area estimates, we prove the existence of…
In this paper we investigate geodesic completeness of left-invariant Lorentzian metrics on a simple Lie group $G$ when there exists a left-invariant Killing vector field $Z$ on $G$. Among other results, it is proved that if $Z$ is timelike, or $G$ is strongly causal and $Z$ is lightlike, then the metric is complete. We then consider the special complex Lie group $SL_2(\mathbb{C})$ in more details and show that the existence of a lightlike vector field $Z$ on it, implies geodesic completeness. We also consider the existence of a spacelike vector field $Z$ on $SL_2(\mathbb{C})$ and provide an eq…
We show that if $(\mathbb{T}^{2},g)$ is a class A Lorentzian 2-torus with timelike poles, then there exists a Lipschitz foliation by complete future-directed timelike geodesics with any pre-assigned asymptotic direction in the interior of the stable time cone. This is done by constructing certain $C^{1,1}$ solutions to the equation $g(\nabla u,\nabla u)=-1$ on the Abelian cover $(\mathbb{R}^{2},g)$.
On a smooth $n$-manifold $M$ with $n \geq 3$, we study pairs $(g,T)$ consisting of a Riemannian metric $g$ and a unit length closed vector field $T$. Motivated by how Ricci solitons generalize Einstein metrics via a distinguished vector field, we propose to generalize space forms by considering those pairs $(g,T)$ whose corresponding Lorentzian metric $g_{\scriptscriptstyle L} = g - 2T^{\flat} \otimes T^{\flat}$ has constant curvature. We show by examples that such pairs exist when $M$ is noncompact, and that complete metrics exist among them. When $M$ is compact, however, the situation is mor…
There are five unimodular simply connected three dimensional unimodular non abelian Lie groups: the nilpotent Lie group $\mathrm{Nil}$, the special unitary group $\mathrm{SU}(2)$, the universal covering group $\widetilde{\mathrm{PSL}}(2,\mathbb{R})$ of the special linear group, the solvable Lie group $\mathrm{Sol}$ and the universal covering group $\widetilde{\mathrm{E}_0}(2)$ of the connected component of the Euclidean group. For each $G$ among these Lie groups, we give explicitly the list of all Lorentzian left invariant metrics on $G$, up to un automorphism of $G$. Moreover, for any Lorentz…
The notion of $Γ$-symmetric space is a natural generalization of the classical notion of symmetric space based on $\Z_2$-grading of Lie algebras. In our case, we consider homogeneous spaces $G/H$ such that the Lie algebra $\g$ of $G$ admits a $Γ$-grading where $Γ$ is a finite abelian group. In this work we study Riemannian metrics and Lorentzian metrics on the Heisenberg group $\mathbb{H}_3$ adapted to the symmetries of a $Γ$-symmetric structure on $\mathbb{H}_3$. We prove that the classification of $\z$-symmetric Riemannian and Lorentzian metrics on $\mathbb{H}_3$ corresponds to the classific…
In this work, we study the pseudo-Riemannian submanifolds of a pseudo-sphere with 1-type pseudo-spherical Gauss map. First, we classify the Lorentzian surfaces in a 4-dimensional pseudo-sphere $\mathbb{S}^4_s(1)$ with index s, $s=1, 2$, and having harmonic pseudo-spherical Gauss map. Then we give a characterization theorem for pseudo-Riemannian submanifolds of a pseudo-sphere $\mathbb{S}^{m-1}_s(1)\subset\mathbb{E}^m_s$ with 1-type pseudo-spherical Gauss map, and we classify spacelike surfaces and Lorentzian surfaces in the de Sitter space $\mathbb{S}^4_1(1)\subset\mathbb{E}^5_1$ with 1-type p…
A new approach to the study of spacelike submanifolds in a spherical Robertson-Walker spacetime: characterization of the stationary spacelike submanifolds as an application
In this paper we establish new Calabi-Bernstein results for maximal surfaces immersed into a Lorentzian product space of the form $M^2\times\mathbb{R}_1$, where $M^2$ is a connected Riemannian surface and $M^2\times\mathbb{R}_1$ is endowed with the Lorentzian metric $<,>=<,>_{M}-dt^2$. In particular, when $M$ is a Riemannian surface with non-negative Gaussian curvature $K_M$, we prove that any complete maximal surface in $M^2\times\mathbb{R}_1$ must be totally geodesic. Besides, if $M$ is non-flat we conclude that it must be a slice $M\times\{t_0\}$, $t_0\in\mathbb{R}$ (here by "complete" it i…
The main aim of this survey paper is to gather together some results concerning the Calabi type duality discovered by Hojoo Lee between certain families of (spacelike) graphs with constant mean curvature in Riemannian and Lorentzian homogeneous 3-manifolds with isometry group of dimension 4. The duality is conformal and swaps mean curvature and bundle curvature, and we will revisit it by giving a more general statement in terms of conformal immersions. This will show that some features in the theory of surfaces with mean curvature $\frac{1}{2}$ in $\mathbb{H}^2\times\mathbb{R}$ or minimal surf…
There are examples of complete spacelike surfaces in the Lorentzian product $\mathbb{H}^2\times\mathbb{R}_1$ with constant Gaussian curvature $K\leq -1$. In this paper, we show that there exists no complete spacelike surface in $\mathbb{H}^2\times\mathbb{R}_1$ with constant Gaussian curvature $K>-1$.
We construct counterexamples to inverse problems for the wave operator on domains in $\mathbb{R}^{n+1}$, $n \ge 2$, and on Lorentzian manifolds. We show that non-isometric Lorentzian metrics can lead to same partial data measurements, which are formulated in terms certain restrictions of the Dirichlet-to-Neumann map. The Lorentzian metrics giving counterexamples are time-dependent, but they are smooth and non-degenerate. On $\mathbb{R}^{n+1}$ the metrics are conformal to the Minkowski metric.
We prove that maximal annuli in $\mathbb{L}^{3}$ bounded by circles, straight lines or cone points in a pair of parallel spacelike planes are part of either a Lorentzian catenoid or a Lorentzian Riemann's example. We show that under the same boundary condition, the same conclusion holds even when the maximal annuli have a planar end. Moreover, we extend Shiffman's convexity result to maximal annuli but by using Perron's method we construct a maximal annulus with a planar end where Shiffman type result fails.
We establish a one-to-one correspondence between a class of strictly almost Kähler metrics on the one hand, and Lorentzian pp-wave spacetimes on the other; the latter metrics are well known in general relativity, where they model radiation propagating at the speed of light. Specifically, we construct families of complete almost Kähler metrics by deforming pp-waves via their propagation wave vector. The almost Kähler metrics we obtain exist in all dimensions $2n \geq 4$, and are defined on both $\mathbb{R}^{2n}$ and $\mathbb{S}^1\times\mathbb{S}^1 \times M$, where $M$ is any closed almost Kähle…
We classify tube domains in $\mathbb C^{n+1}$ ($n\ge 1$) with affinely homogeneous base of their boundary and a.) with positive definite Levi form and b.) with Lorentzian type Levi form and affine isotropy of dimension at least $\frac{(n-2)(n-3)}2$.
We study constant mean curvature Lorentzian hypersurfaces of $\mathbb{R}^{1,d+1}$ from the point of view of its Cauchy problem. We completely classify the spherically symmetric solutions, which include among them a manifold isometric to the de Sitter space of general relativity. We show that the spherically symmetric solutions exhibit one of three (future) asymptotic behaviours: (i) finite time collapse (ii) convergence to a time-like cylinder isometric to some $\mathbb{R}\times\mathbb{S}^d$ and (iii) infinite expansion to the future converging asymptotically to a time translation of the de Si…
We study Lorentzian manifolds $(M, g)$ of dimension $n\geq 4$, equipped with a maximally twisting shearfree null vector field $p_o$, for which the leaf space $S = M/\{\exp t p_o\}$ is a smooth manifold. If $n = 2k$, the quotient $S = M/\{\exp t p_o\}$ is naturally equipped with a subconformal structure of contact type and, in the most interesting cases, it is a regular Sasaki manifold projecting onto a quantisable Kähler manifold of real dimension $2k -2$. Going backwards through this line of ideas, for any quantisable Kähler manifold with associated Sasaki manifold $S$, we give the local desc…
Let $\mathbb{Q}_3$ be the complex 3-quadric endowed with its standard complex conformal structure. We study the complex conformal geometry of isotropic curves in $\mathbb{Q}_3$. By an isotropic curve we mean a nonconstant holomorphic map from a Riemann surface into $\mathbb{Q}_3$, null with respect to the conformal structure of $\mathbb{Q}_3$. The relations between isotropic curves and a number of relevant classes of surfaces in Riemannian and Lorentzian spaceforms are discussed.
We introduce the notion of $\varepsilonη\,$-Einstein $\varepsilon\,$-contact metric three-manifold, which includes as particular cases $η\,$-Einstein Riemannian and Lorentzian (para) contact metric three-manifolds, but which in addition allows for the Reeb vector field to be null. We prove that the product of an $\varepsilonη\,$-Einstein Lorentzian $\varepsilon\,$-contact metric three-manifold with an $\varepsilonη\,$-Einstein Riemannian contact metric three-manifold carries a bi-parametric family of Ricci-flat Lorentzian metric-compatible connections with isotropic, totally skew-symmetric, cl…
Using global considerations, Mess proved that the moduli space of globally hyperbolic flat Lorentzian structures on $S\times\mathbb{R}$ is the tangent bundle of the Teichmüller space of $S$, if $S$ is a closed surface. One of the goals of this paper is to deepen this surprising occurrence and to make explicit the relation between the Mess parameters and the embedding data of any Cauchy surface. This relation is pointed out by using some specific properties of Codazzi tensors on hyperbolic surfaces. As a by-product we get a new Lorentzian proof of Goldman's celebrated result about the coinciden…
In this paper, we consider the boundary rigidity problem on a cylindrical domain in $\mathbb R^{1+n}$, $n\geq 2$, equipped with a stationary (time-invariant) Lorentzian metric. We show that the time separation function between pairs of points on the boundary of the cylindrical domain determines the stationary spacetime, up to some time-invariant diffeomorphism, assuming that the metric satisfies some a-priori conditions.
The aim of this article is to understand the geometry of limit sets in pseudo-Riemannian hyperbolic geometry. We focus on a class of subgroups of $\mathrm{PO}(p,q+1)$ introduced by Danciger, Guéritaud and Kassel, called $\mathbb{H}^{p,q}$-convex cocompact. We define a pseudo-Riemannian analogue of critical exponent and Hausdorff dimension of the limit set. We show that they are equal and bounded from above by the usual Hausdorff dimension of the limit set. We also prove a rigidity result in $\mathbb{H}^{2,1}=\mathrm{ADS}^3$ which can be understood as a Lorentzian version of a famous Theorem of…
