We study the spectrum $\{λ_j(m)\}_{j=1}^{\infty}$ of a timelike Killing vector field $Z$ acting as a differential operator $D_Z$ on the Hilbert space of solutions of the massive Klein-Gordon equation $(\Box_g + m^2) u = 0$ on a globally hyperbolic stationary spacetime $(M, g)$ with compact Cauchy hypersurface. The inverse mass $m^{-1}$ is formally like the Planck constant in a Schrödinger equation, and we give Weyl asymptotics as $m \to \infty$ for the number $$N_{ν, C}(m)= \# \{j \mid \frac{λ_j(m)}{m} \in [ν- \frac{C}{m}, ν+ \frac{C}{m} ]\}$$ for a given $C > 0$. The semi-classical mass asymptotics are governed by the dynamics of the Killing flow $e^{tZ} $ on the hypersurface in the space of mass $1$ geodesics $γ$ where $\langle \dotγ, Z \rangle= ν$.
We consider a free quantized Klein-Gordon field in a spacetime (M, g) containing a stationary black hole, more precisely a spacetime with a stationary bifurcate Killing horizon in the sense of Kay and Wald. We prove the existence of the Hartle-Hawking-Israel ground state, which is a pure state on the whole spacetime whose restriction to the exterior of the black hole is a thermal state at Hawking temperature.We show that the HHI state is a Hadamard state and is the unique Hadamard extension of the above thermal state to the whole spacetime. We construct the HHI state by Wick rotation in Killin…
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.
We construct a one-parameter family of stationary axisymmetric and asymptotically flat spacetimes solutions to the Einstein-Vlasov system bifurcating from the Kerr spacetime. The constructed solutions have the property that the spatial support of the matter is a finite, axisymmetric shell located away from the black hole. Our proof is mostly based on the analysis of the set of trapped timelike geodesics for stationary axisymmetric spacetimes close to Kerr, where the geodesic flow is not necessarily integrable. Moreover, the analysis of the Einstein field equations relies on the modified Carter…
We prove relativistic versions of the ladder asymptotics from V. Guillemin and A. Uribe [Journal of Differential Geometry, 32(2):315-347, 1990] on principal bundles over globally hyperbolic, stationary, spatially compact spacetimes equipped with a Kaluza-Klein metric. This involves understanding the distribution of the frequency spectrum for the wave equation on a Kaluza-Klein spacetime when restricted to the isotypic subspace of an irreducible representation of the structure group, in the limit that the weight of the representation approaches infinity in the Weyl chamber. This is a direct gen…
We consider the problem of essential self-adjointness of the spatial part of the Klein-Gordon operator in stationary spacetimes. This operator is shown to be a Laplace-Beltrami type operator plus a potential. In globally hyperbolic spacetimes, essential selfadjointness is proven assuming smoothness of the metric components and semi-boundedness of the potential. This extends a recent result for static spacetimes to the stationary case. Furthermore, we generalize the results to certain non-globally hyperbolic spacetimes.
This is intended as an analysis of the global properties of static and stationary spacetimes with complete (timelike) Killing field, with particular attention to quotients by group actions. This is presented in terms of algebraic structures which are fairly simple for the static case and more involved for the stationary case; the most important tool, the fundamental cocycle, is a cohomological class for static spacetimes but of somewhat looser structure in the stationary case. In particular: (1) A new measurement, similar to the spacetime interval in Minkowski space, is devised for detecting w…
We study the kinematic relative velocity of general test particles with respect to stationary observers (using spherical coordinates) in Schwarzschild spacetime, obtaining that its modulus does not depend on the observer, unlike Fermi, spectroscopic and astrometric relative velocities. We study some fundamental particular cases, generalizing some results given in other work about stationary and radial free-falling test particles. Moreover, we give a new result about test particles with circular geodesic orbits: the modulus of their kinematic relative velocity with respect to any stationary obs…
A Duistermaat-Guillemin-Gutzwiller trace formula for Dirac-type operators on a globally hyperbolic spatially compact stationary spacetime is achieved by generalising the recent construction by A. Strohmaier and S. Zelditch [Adv. Math. \textbf{376}, 107434 (2021)] to a vector bundle setting. We have analysed the spectrum of the Lie derivative with respect to a global timelike Killing vector field on the solution space of the Dirac equation and found that it consists of discrete real eigenvalues. The distributional trace of the time evolution operator has singularities at the periods of induced …
The existence of stationary solutions to the Einstein-Vlasov system which are axially symmetric and have non-zero total angular momentum is shown. This provides mathematical models for rotating, general relativistic and asymptotically flat non-vacuum spacetimes. If angular momentum is allowed to be non-zero, the system of equations to solve contains one semilinear elliptic equation which is singular on the axis of rotation. This can be handled very efficiently by recasting the equation as one for an axisymmetric unknown on $\R^5$.
The travel time brachistochrone curves in a general relativistic framework are timelike curves, satisfying a suitable conservation law with respect to a an observer field, that are stationary points of the travel time functional. In this paper we develop a global variational theory for brachistochrones joining an event $p$ and the worldline of an observer $γ$ in a stationary spacetime $M$. More specifically, using the method of Lagrange multipliers, we compute the first and the second variation of the travel time functional, obtaining two variational principles relating the geometry of the bra…
We show that as soon as a linear quantum field on a stationary spacetime satisfies a certain type of hyperbolic equation, the (quasifree) ground- and KMS-states with respect to the canonical time flow have the Reeh-Schlieder property. We also obtain an analog of Borchers' timelike tube theorem. The class of fields we consider contains the Dirac field, the Klein-Gordon field and the Proca field.
We prove two theorems which imply that any stationary nonlinear electromagnetic field obeying a dominant energy condition in a strictly stationary, everywhere regular, asymptotically flat spacetime must be either trivial or a stealth field. The first theorem holds in static spacetimes and is independent of the gravitational part of the action, as long as the coupling of the electromagnetic field to the gravitational field is minimal. The second theorem assumes Einstein--Hilbert gravitational action and relies on the positive energy theorem, but does not assume that the spacetime metric is stat…
We propose a new concept, the transversely trapping surface (TTS), as an extension of the static photon surface characterizing the strong gravity region of a static/stationary spacetime in terms of photon behavior. The TTS is defined as a static/stationary timelike surface $S$ whose spatial section is a closed two-surface, such that arbitrary photons emitted tangentially to $S$ from arbitrary points on $S$ propagate on or toward the inside of $S$. We study the properties of TTSs for static spacetimes and axisymmetric stationary spacetimes. In particular, the area $A_0$ of a TTS is proved to be…
Using the relativistic Fermat's principle, we establish a bridge between stationary-complete manifolds which satisfy the observer-manifold condition and pre-Randers metrics, namely, Randers metrics without any restriction on the one-form. As a consequence, we give a description of the causal ladder of such spacetimes in terms of the elements associated with the pre-Randers metric: its geodesics and the associated distance. We obtain, as applications of this interplay, the description of conformal maps of Killing submersions, and existence and multiplicity results for geodesics of pre-Randers m…
The linear scalar quantum field, propagating in a globally hyperbolic spacetime, is a relatively simple physical model that allows us to study many aspects in explicit detail. In this review we focus on the theory of thermal equilibrium (KMS) states of such a field in a stationary spacetime. Our presentation draws on several existing sources and aims to give a unified exposition. We also take the opportunity to weaken some of the technical assumptions of the earlier literature. In particular, we completely drop any assumptions on the behaviour of the norm and lapse of the Killing field. This i…
A Duistermaat-Guillemin-Gutzwiller trace formula for Dirac-type operators on a globally hyperbolic spatially compact stationary spacetime is achieved by generalising the recent construction by Strohmaier and Zelditch [Adv. Math. \textbf{376}, 107434 (2021)] to a vector bundle setting. We have analysed the spectrum of the Lie derivative with respect to a global timelike Killing vector field on the solution space of the Dirac equation and found that it consists of discrete real eigenvalues. The distributional trace of the time evolution operator has singularities at the periods of induced Killin…
New general results of non-existence and rigidity of spacelike submanifolds immersed in a spacetime, whose mean curvature is a time-oriented causal vector field, are given. These results hold for a wide class of spacetimes which includes globally hyperbolic, stationary, conformally stationary and pp-wave spacetimes, among others. Moreover, applications to the Cauchy problem in General Relativity, are presented. Finally, in the case of hypersurfaces, we also obtain significant consequences in Geometrical Analysis, solving new Calabi-Bernstein and Dirichlet problems on a Riemannian manifold.
In the literature, the Newman-Janis algorithm (NJA) has been widely used to construct stationary and axisymmetric spacetimes to describe rotating black holes. In addition, it has been recently shown that the general stationary and axisymmetric spacetime generated through NJA allows the complete separability of the null geodesic equations. In fact, the Hamilton-Jacobi equation in this spacetime is also separable if one of the metric functions is additively separable. In this work, we further study the conditions for a separable Klein-Gordon equation in such a general spacetime. The relations be…
