We prove global stability of Minkowski space for the Einstein vacuum equations in harmonic (wave) coordinate gauge for the set of restricted data coinciding with Schwartzschild solution in the neighborhood of space-like infinity. The result contradicts previous beliefs that wave coordinates are "unstable in the large" and provides an alternative approach to the stability problem originally solved (for unrestricted data, in a different gauge and with a precise description of the asymptotic behavior at null infinity) by D. Christodoulou and S. Klainerman.
Using the wave coordinate gauge we recast the Einstein equations as a system of quasilinear wave equations and, in absence of the classical null condition, establish a small data global existence result. In our previous work we introduced the notion of a eak nul condition and showed that the Einstein equations in wave coordinates satisfy this condition. The result of this paper relies on this observation and combines it with the vector field method based on the symmetries of the standard Minkowski space.
In a forthcoming paper we will address the question of stability of Minkowski space for the Einstein vacuum equations in wave coordinates for all "small" asymptotically flat data and the case of the Einstein equations coupled to a scalar field.
The Cauchy problem of the vacuum Einstein's equations aims to find a semi-metric $g_{αβ}$ of a spacetime with vanishing Ricci curvature $R_{α,β}$ and prescribed initial data. Under the harmonic gauge condition, the equations $R_{α,β}=0$ are transferred into a system of quasi-linear wave equations which are called the reduced Einstein equations. The initial data for Einstein's equations are a proper Riemannian metric $h_{ab}$ and a second fundamental form $K_{ab}$. A necessary condition for the reduced Einstein equation to satisfy the vacuum equations is that the initial data satisfy Einstein c…
In a previous work [I. Rodnianski and Y. Shlapentokh-Rothman, Naked Singularities for the Einstein Vacuum Equations: The Exterior Solution, arXiv:1912.08478] we constructed solutions to the Einstein vacuum equations in 3+1 dimensions which corresponded to the exterior region of a naked singularity. In this work we construct solutions which correspond to the interior region and show that the two solutions may be glued together to produce a naked singularity. Fundamental to our construction is the novel type of self-similarity for the Einstein vacuum equations that we introduced in our previous …
In this article, we make a generalization of classical fixed point theorems by using the concept of half-continuity and then apply it to improve the nonuniqueness result for solutions to the vacuum Einstein conformal equations shown by the author in arxiv.org/abs/1507.01081
In this work we initiate the mathematical study of naked singularities for the Einstein vacuum equations in $3+1$ dimensions by constructing solutions which correspond to the exterior region of a naked singularity. A key element is our introduction of a new type of self-similarity for the Einstein vacuum equations. Connected to this is a new geometric twisting phenomenon which plays the leading role in singularity formation. Prior to this work, the only known examples of naked singularities were the solutions constructed by Christodoulou for the spherically symmetric Einstein-scalar-field syst…
We prove in this note that local geometric uniqueness holds true without loss of regularity for Einstein equations coupled with a large class of matter models. We thus extend the Planchon-Rodnianski uniqueness theorem for vacuum spacetimes. In a second part of this note, we investigate the question of local regularity of spacetimes under geometric bounds.
One of the central difficulties of settling the $L^2$-bounded curvature conjecture for the Einstein -Vacuum equations is to be able to control the causal structure of spacetimes with such limited regularity. In this paper we show how to circumvent this difficulty by showing that the geometry of null hypersurfaces of Enstein-Vacuum spacetimes can be controlled in terms of initial data and the total curvature flux through the hypersurface.
We give asymptotics for Einstein vacuum equations in wave coordinates with small asymptotically flat data. We show that the behavior is wave like at null infinity and homogeneous towards time like infinity. We use the asymptotics to show that the outgoing null hypersurfaces approach the Schwarzschild ones for the same mass and that the radiated energy is equal to the initial mass.
We develop a local theory for the construction of singular spacetimes in all spacetime dimensions which become asymptotically self-similar as the singularity is approached. The techniques developed also allow us to construct and classify exact self-similar solutions which correspond to the formal asymptotic expansions of Fefferman and Graham's ambient metric.
In this paper, we introduce new methods for solving the vacuum Einstein constraints equations: the first one is based on Schaefer's fixed point theorem (known methods use Schauder's fixed point theorem) while the second one uses the concept of half-continuity coupled with the introduction of local supersolutions. These methods allow to: unify some recent existence results, simplify many proofs (for instance, the main theorem in arXiv:1012.2188) and weaken the assumptions of many recent results.
We derive a unique continuation theorem for the vacuum Einstein equations. Our method of proof utilizes Carleman estimates (most importantly one obtained recently by Ionescu and Klainerman), but also relies strongly on certain geometric gauge constructions which make it possible to address this problem via such estimates. We indicate how our method can be used more broadly to derive unique continuation for Einstein's equations from Carleman estimates for the wave operator.
In this work we give a complete picture of how to in a direct simple way define the mass at null infinity in harmonic coordinates in three different ways that we show satisfy the Bondi mass loss law. The first and second way involve only the limit of metric (Trautman mass) respectively the null second fundamental forms along asymptotically characteristic surfaces (asymptotic Hawking mass) that only depend on the ADM mass. The last in an original way involves construction of special characteristic coordinates at null infinity (Bondi mass). The results here rely on asymptotics of the metric deri…
We are concerned with how regular initial data have to be to ensure local existence for Einstein's equations in wave coordinates. Klainerman-Rodnianski and Smith-Tataru showed that there in general is local existence for data in Sobolev spaces H^s with regularity s>2. We give an example of data in Sobolev spaces with regularity s=2 for which there is no local solution in this space.
In this paper, we consider very rough solutions to Cauchy problem for the Einstein vacuum equations in CMC spacial harmonic gauge, and obtain the local well-posedness result in $H^s, s>2$. The novelty of our approach lies in that, without resorting to the standard paradifferential regularization over the rough, Einstein metric $\bg$, we manage to implement the commuting vector field approach to prove Strichartz estimate for geometric wave equation $\Box_\bg ϕ=0$ directly.
In this article, we give nonexistence and nonuniqueness results for the vacuum Einstein conformal constraint equations in the far-from-CMC case and also show that in some cases the equations of the conformal method for positive Yamabe metrics and with TT-tensor $σ$ = 0 have a non-trivial solution, and thus answer a question by D. Maxwell.
Let $\M_*=\cup_{t\in [t_0, t_*)} Σ_t$ be a part of vacuum globally hyperbolic space-time $(\bM, \bg)$, foliated by constant mean curvature hypersurfaces $Σ_t$ with $t_0<t_*<0$. We show that the foliation can be extended beyond $t_*$ if the second fundamental form $k$ and the lapse function $n$ satisfy $$ \int_{t_0}^{t_*}(\|k\|_{L^\infty(Σ_t)}+\|\nab \log n\|_{L^\infty(Σ_t)}) dt <\infty. $$ This improves the existing breakdown criteria for Einstein vacuum equations.
We show the existence of complete, asymptotically flat Cauchy initial data for the vacuum Einstein field equations, free of trapped surfaces, whose future development must admit a trapped surface. Moreover, the datum is exactly a constant time slice in Minkowski space-time inside and exactly a constant time slice in Kerr space-time outside. The proof makes use of the full strength of Christodoulou's work on the dynamical formation of black holes and Corvino-Schoen's work on the constructions of initial data set.
We give a sufficient condition, with no restrictions on the mean curvature, under which the conformal method can be used to generate solutions of the vacuum Einstein constraint equations on compact manifolds. The condition requires a so-called global supersolution but does not require a global subsolution. As a consequence, we construct a class of solutions of the vacuum Einstein constraint equations with freely specified mean curvature, extending a recent result of Holst, Nagy, and Tsogtgerel [HNT07] which constructed similar solutions in the presence of matter. We give a second proof of this…
Axially symmetric stationary metrics governed by the Einstein-Euler equations for slowly rotating perfect fluids have been constructed in an arbitrarily large bounded domain containing the support of the mass density. However the problem of global prolongation of the metric is still open. On the other hand the so called matter-vacuum matching problem, particularly as the source problem for the Kerr metric, has been discussed by several authors. This can be regarded as the approach to the same open problem in the opposite direction. We give a remark on this open problem.
The vacuum Einstein equations in 5+1 dimensions are shown to admit solutions describing naked singularity formation in gravitational collapse from nonsingular asymptotically locally flat initial data that contain no trapped surface. We present a class of specific examples with topology $\mathbb{R}^{3+1} \times S^2$. Thanks to the Kaluza-Klein dimensional reduction, these examples are constructed by lifting continuously self-similar solutions of the 4-dimensional Einstein-scalar field system with a negative exponential potential. The latter solutions are obtained by solving a 3-dimensional auto…
In this paper, the radiation field is defined for solutions to Einstein vacuum equations which are close to Minkowski space-time with spacial dimension $n\geq 4$. The regularity properties and asymptotic behavior of those Einstein vacuum solutions are established at the same time. In particular, the map from Cauchy intial data to the radiation field is proved to be an isomorphism when restricting to a small neighborhood of Minkowski data in suitable weighted b-Sobolev spaces.
We solve the constraint equations for a vacuum space-time with a translational space-like Killing field satisfying the vacuum Einstein equations. Vacuum Einstein equations with a translational space-like Killing field have been studied by Choquet-Bruhat and Moncrief in the compact case, and by Ashtekar, Bicak and Schmidt in the case where an additional spherical symmetry is added. In this paper we consider the asymptotically flat case. This corresponds to solving a nonlinear elliptic system on R2. The main difficulty in that case is due to the delicate inversion of the Laplacian on R2.
We study the geometry of a general class of vacuum asymptotically Anti-de Sitter spacetimes near the conformal boundary. In particular, the spacetime is only assumed to have finite regularity, and it is allowed to have arbitrary boundary topology and geometry. For the main results, we derive limits at the conformal boundary of various geometric quantities, and we use these limits to construct partial Fefferman--Graham expansions from the boundary. The results of this article will be applied, in upcoming papers, toward proving symmetry extension and gravity--boundary correspondence theorems for…
This is a follow up on our previous work in which we have presented a modified, simpler version of the remarkable recent result of Christodoulou on the formation of trapped surfaces. In this paper we prove two related results. First we extend the semi-global existence result, which was at the heart of our previous work, to an optimal range. We then use it to establish the formation of surfaces with multiple pre-scarred angular components.
We construct solutions to the constraint equations in general relativity using the limit equation criterion introduced by Dahl, Humbert and the first author. We focus on solutions over compact 3-manifolds admitting a $\bS^1$-symmetry group. When the quotient manifold has genus greater than 2, we obtain strong far from CMC results.
The main objective of this paper is to control the geometry of null cones with time foliation in Einstein vacuum spacetime under the assumptions of small curvature flux and a weaker condition on the deformation tensor for $\bT$. We establish a series of estimates on Ricci coefficients, which plays a crucial role to prove the improved breakdown criterion in [12].
We study inverse problems for the Einstein-Maxwell equations. We prove that it is possible to generate gravitational waves from the nonlinear interactions of electromagnetic waves. By sending electromagnetic waves from a neighborhood of a freely falling observer and taking measurements of the gravitational perturbations in the same neighborhood, one can determine the vacuum space-time structure up to diffeomorphisms in the largest region where these waves can travel to from the observer and return.
We revisit and generalize, to the Einstein-Yang-Mills-Higgs system, previous results of D. Christodoulou and D. Chae concerning global solutions for the Einstein-scalar field and the Einstein-Maxwell-Higgs equations. The novelty of the present work is twofold. For one thing the assumption on the self-interaction potential is improved. For another thing explanation is furnished why the solutions obtained here and those proved by Chae for the Einstein-Maxwell-Higgs decay more slowly than those established by Christodoulou in the case of self-gravitating scalar fields. Actually this latter phenom…
We consider a characteristic initial value problem, with initial data given on a future null cone, for the Einstein (massless) scalar field system with a positive cosmological constant, in Bondi coordinates. We prove that, for small data, this system has a unique global classical solution which is causally geodesically complete to the future and decays polynomially in radius and exponentially in Bondi time, approaching the de Sitter solution.
Let $(M,g)$ be a compact Riemannian manifold on which a trace-free and divergence-free $σ\in W^{1,p}$ and a positive function $τ\in W^{1,p}$, $p > n$, are fixed. In this paper, we study the vacuum Einstein constraint equations using the well known conformal method with data $σ$ and $τ$. We show that if no solution exists then there is a non-trivial solution of another non-linear limit equation on $1$-forms. This last equation can be shown to be without solutions no solution in many situations. As a corollary, we get existence of solutions of the vacuum Einstein constraint equation under explic…
This is the first in a series Of papers in which we initiate the study Of very rough solutions to the initial value problem for the Einstein Vacuum equations expressed relative to wave coordinates. By very rough we mean solutions which cannot be constructed by the classical techniques Of energy estimates and Sobolev inequalities. Following our previous work on quasilinear wave equations we develop new analytic methods based on Strichartz type inequalities which results in a gain of half a derivative relative to the classical result. Thus our result requires only $H^{2+ε}$ regularity for the da…
In this article, we are interested in the Einstein vacuum equations on a Lorentzian manifold displaying $\mathbb{U}(1)$ symmetry. We identify some freely prescribable initial data, solve the constraint equations and prove the existence of a unique and local in time solution at the $H^3$ level. In addition, we prove a blow-up criterium at the $H^2$ level. Our main objective is to provide a framework adapted to the study of high-frequency solutions to the Einstein vacuum equations done in a forthcoming paper by Huneau and Luk. As a consequence we work in an elliptic gauge, particularly adapted t…
We solve the Einstein constraint equations for a 3 + 1 dimensional vacuum spacetime with a space-like translational Killing field in the asymptotically flat case.. The presence of a space-like translational Killing field allows for a reduction of the 3 + 1 dimensional problem to a 2+1 dimensional one. The aim of this paper is to go further in the asymptotic expansion of the solutions than in [14]. In particular the expansion we construct involves quantities which are the 2-dimensional equivalent of the global charges.
We prove global existence for Einstein's equations with a charged scalar field for initial conditions sufficiently close to the Minkowski spacetime without matter. The proof relies on generalized wave coordinates adapted to the outgoing Schwarzschild light cones and the estimates for the massless Maxwell-Klein-Gordon system, on the background of metrics asymptotically approaching Schwarzschild at null infinity in such coordinates, by Kauffman. The generalized wave coordinates are obtained from a change of variables, introduced by Lindblad, to asymptotically Schwarzschild coordinates at null in…
We construct a class of time-symmetric initial data sets for the Einstein vacuum equation modeling elementary configurations of multiple ``almost isolated" systems. Each such initial data set consists of a collection of several localized sources of gravitational radiation, and lies in a family of data sets which is closed under scaling out the distances between the systems by arbitrarily large amounts. This class contains data sets which are not asymptotically flat, but to which nonetheless a finite ADM mass can be ascribed. The construction proceeds by a gluing scheme using the Brill--Lindqui…
