In this note we study constant mean curvature surfaces in asymptotically flat 3-manifolds. We prove that, in an asymptotically flat 3-manifold with positive mass, stable spheres of given constant mean curvature outside a fixed compact subset are unique. Therefore we are able to conclude that there is a unique foliation of stable spheres of constant mean curvature in an asymptotically flat 3-manifold with positive mass.
We prove existence and uniqueness of foliations by stable spheres with constant mean curvature for 3-manifolds which are asymptotic to Anti-de Sitter-Schwarzschild metrics with positive mass. These metrics arise naturally as spacelike timeslices for solutions of the Einstein equation with a negative cosmological constant.
We prove the existence and uniqueness of constant mean curvature foliations for initial data sets which are asymptotically flat satisfying the Regge-Teitelboim condition near infinity. It is known that the (Hamiltonian) center of mass is well-defined for manifolds satisfying this condition. We also show that the foliation is asymptotically concentric, and its geometric center is the center of mass. The construction of the foliation generalizes the results of Huisken-Yau, Ye, and Metzger, where strongly asymptotically flat manifolds and their small perturbations were studied.
In this paper I study the constant mean curvature surface in asymptotically flat 3-manifolds with general asymptotics. Under some weak condition, I prove that outside some compact set in the asymptotically flat 3-manifold with positive mass, the foliation of stable spheres of constant mean curvature is unique.
In general relativity, there have been a number of successful constructions for asymptotically flat metrics with a certain background foliation. In particular, C. -Y. Lin used a foliation by the Ricci flow on 2-spheres to establish an asymptotically flat extension and C. Sormani and Lin proved useful results with this extension. In this paper, we construct asymptotically hyperbolic 3-metrics with the Ricci flow foliation. We also study the rigid case when the Hawking mass of the inner surface of the manifold agrees with its total mass.
In this paper we prove existence and uniqueness of a CMC foliation in asymptotically cuspidal manifolds. Moreover, we study the isoperimetric problem in this case. Our proof does not require any curvature assumption and it holds for any dimension.
In a previous paper, the authors showed that metrics which are asymptotic to Anti-de Sitter-Schwarzschild metrics with positive mass admit a unique foliation by stable spheres with constant mean curvature. In this paper we extend that result to all asymptotically hyperbolic metrics for which the trace of the mass term is positive. We do this by combining the Kazdan-Warner obstructions with a theorem due to De Lellis and Müller.
In 1996, Huisen-Yau proved that every three-dimensional, asymptotically Schwarzschilden manifold with positive mass is uniquely foliated by stable spheres of constant mean curvature and they defined the center of mass using this CMC-foliation. Rigger and Neves-Tian showed in 2004 and 2009/10 analogous existence and uniqueness theorems for three-dimensional, asymptotically Anti-de Sitter and asymptotically hyperbolic manifolds with positive mass aspect function, respectively. Last year, Cederbaum-Cortier-Sakovich proved that the CMC-foliation characterizes the center of mass in the hyperbolic s…
The goal of this paper is to establish the existence of a foliation of the asymptotic region of an asymptotically flat manifold with nonzero mass by surfaces which are critical points of the Willmore functional subject to an area constraint. Equivalently these surfaces are critical points of the Geroch-Hawking mass. Thus our result has applications in the theory of General Relativity.
Let $(M,g)$ be an asymptotically hyperbolic manifold with a smooth conformal compactification. We establish a general correspondence between semilinear elliptic equations of scalar curvature type on $\del M$ and Weingarten foliations in some neighbourhood of infinity in $M$. We focus mostly on foliations where each leaf has constant mean curvature, though our results apply equally well to foliations where the leaves have constant $σ_k$-curvature. In particular, we prove the existence of a unique foliation near infinity in any quasi-Fuchsian 3-manifold by surfaces with constant Gauss curvature.…
A characterization of the foliation by spacelike slices of an $(n+1)$-dimensional spatially closed Generalized Robertson-Walker spacetime is given by means of studying a natural mean curvature type equation on spacelike graphs. Under some natural assumptions, of physical or geometric nature, all the entire solutions of such an equation are obtained. In particular, the case of entire spacelike graphs in de Sitter spacetime is faced and completely solved by means of a new application of a known integral formula.
We prove the existence and uniqueness of the Dirichlet problem for spacelike, spherically symmetric, constant mean curvature equation with symmetric boundary data in the extended Schwarzschild spacetime. As an application, we completely solve the CMC foliation conjecture which is posted by Malec and O Murchadha in 2003.
In this paper, the existence and uniqueness of foliations by constant mean curvature spheres on asymptotically flat manifolds of nonzero ADM mass in all dimensions were established. (A similar result in the case of positive mass was obtained independently by G. Huisken and S. T. Yau, see the introduction of this paper and their paper in Inv. Math.)
We describe explicitly the large volume isoperimetric regions of a natural class of asymptotically flat manifolds, in any dimension. These isoperimetric regions detect the mass and the center of mass of such manifolds when viewed as initial data sets for the Einstein equations in general relativity. Using the positivity of the isoperimetric mass established by G. Huisken we prove an existence result for large isoperimetric regions in general asymptotically flat three manifolds with non-negative scalar curvature.
We propose a new foliation of asymptotically Euclidean initial data sets by 2-spheres of constant spacetime mean curvature (STCMC). The leaves of the foliation have the STCMC-property regardless of the initial data set in which the foliation is constructed which asserts that there is a plethora of STCMC 2-spheres in a neighborhood of spatial infinity of any asymptotically flat spacetime. The STCMC-foliation can be understood as a covariant relativistic generalization of the CMC-foliation suggested by Huisken and Yau. We show that a unique STCMC-foliation exists near infinity of any asymptotica…
In this paper we consider the uniqueness problem of the constant mean curvature spheres in asymptotically flat 3-manifolds. We require the metric have the form g_{ij}=δ_{ij}+h_{ij} with h_{ij}=O_{4}(r^{-1}) and R=O(r^{-3-τ}),τ>0. We do not require the metric to be close to Schwarzschild metric in any sense or to satisfy RT conditions. We prove that, when the mass is not 0, stable CMC spheres that separate a certain compact part from infinity satisfy the radius pinching estimate r_{1}\leq Cr_{0} , which in many cases is critical to prove the uniqueness of the CMC spheres. As applications of thi…
We construct 2-surfaces of prescribed mean curvature in 3-manifolds carrying asymptotically flat initial data for an isolated gravitating sysqtem with rather general decay conditions. The surfaces in question form a regular foliation of the asymptotic region of such a manifold. We recover physically relevant data, especially the ADM-momentum, from the geometry of the foliation. For a given set of data (M,g,K), with a three dimensional manifold M, its Riemannian metric g, and the second fundamental form K in the surrounding four dimensional Lorentz space time manifold, the equation we solve is …
In 1993, Bartnik introduced a quasi-spherical construction of metrics of prescribed scalar curvature on 3-manifolds. Under quasi-spherical ansatz, the problem is converted into the initial value problem for a semi-linear parabolic equation of the lapse function. The original ansatz of Bartnik started with a background foliation with round metrics on the 2-sphere leaves. This has been generalized by several authors under various assumptions on the background foliation. In this article, we consider background foliations given by conformal round metrics, and by the Ricci flow on 2-spheres. We dis…
In this work we obtain the limit of the Hawking energy of a large class of foliations along general null hypersurfaces $Ω$ satisfying a weak notion of asymptotic flatness. The foliations are not required to be either geodesic or approaching large spheres at infinity. The limit is obtained in terms of a reference background geodesic foliation approaching large spheres and a positive function, constant along the null generators on $Ω$, which describes the relation between the two foliations at infinity. The integrand in the limit expression has interesting covariance and invariance properties wi…
Motivated by the foliation by stable spheres with constant mean curvature constructed by Huisken-Yau, Metzger proved that every initial data set can be foliated by spheres with constant expansion (CE) if the manifold is asymptotically equal to the standard [t=0]-timeslice of the Schwarzschild solution. In this paper, we generalize his result to asymptotically flat initial data sets and weaken additional smallness assumptions made by Metzger. Furthermore, we prove that the CE-surfaces are in a well-defined sense (asymptotically) independent of time if the linear momentum vanishes.
In this paper, based on an intrinsic definition of asymptotically AdS space-times, we show that the standard anti-de Sitter space-time is the unique strictly stationary asymptotically AdS solution to the vacuum Einstein equations with negative cosmological constant in dimension less than 7. Instead of using the positive energy theorem for asymptotically hyperbolic spaces our approach appeals to the classic positive mass theorem for asymptotically flat spaces.
In 1996, Huisken-Yau proved that every three-dimensional Riemannian manifold can be uniquely foliated near infinity by stable closed surfaces of constant mean curvature (CMC) if it is asymptotically equal to the (spatial) Schwarzschild solution. Using their method, Rigger proved the same theorem for Riemannian manifolds being asymptotically equal to the (spatial) (Schwarzschild-)Anti-de Sitter solution. This was generalized to asymptotically hyperbolic manifolds by Neves-Tian, Chodosh, and the author at a later stage. In this work, we prove the reverse implication as the author already did in …
We develop some pluripotential theoretic techniques for the transversally holomorphic foliation of a Sasakian manifold. We prove the convexity of the K-energy along weak geodesics for Sasakian manifolds. This implies that the K-energy is bounded below if a constant scalar curvature structure exists with those metrics minimizing it. More generally, a relative version of the K-energy is convex, and bounded below if there exists a Sasaki-extremal metric, providing an important necessary condition for Sasaki-extremal metrics. Another application is a proof of the uniqueness of Sasaki-extremal metr…
In this paper, we are concerned with interactions between isoparametric theory and differential topology. Two foliations are called equivalent if there exists a diffeomorphism between the foliated manifolds mapping leaves to leaves. Using differential topology, we obtain several results towards the classification problem of isoparametric foliations up to equivalence. In particular, we show that each homotopy $n$-sphere has the "same" isoparametric foliations as the standard sphere $S^n$ has except for $n=4$, reducing the classification problem on homotopy spheres to that on the standard sphere…
Adapting Israel's proof of static black hole uniqueness, we show that the Schwarzschild spacetime is the only static vacuum asymptotically flat spacetime that possesses a suitably defined photon sphere.
We prove uniqueness and existence theorems for four-dimensional asymptotically flat, Ricci-flat, gravitational instantons with a torus symmetry. In particular, we prove that such instantons are uniquely characterised by their rod structure, which is data that encodes the fixed point sets of the torus action. Furthermore, we establish that for every admissible rod structure there exists an instanton that is smooth up to possible conical singularities at the axes of symmetry. The proofs involve adapting the methods that are used to establish black hole uniqueness theorems, to a harmonic map form…
In this article, we consider the limit of quasi-local conserved quantities [31,9] at the infinity of an asymptotically hyperbolic initial data set in general relativity. These give notions of total energy-momentum, angular momentum, and center of mass. Our assumption on the asymptotics is less stringent than any previous ones to validate a Bondi-type mass loss formula. The Lorentz group acts on the asymptotic infinity through the exchange of foliations by coordinate spheres. For foliations aligning with the total energy-momentum vector, we prove that the limits of quasi-local center of mass an…
Let $C\subset\mathbb{R}^{n+1}$ be a regular cone with vertex at the origin. In this paper, we show the uniqueness for smooth properly embedded self-shrinking ends in $\mathbb{R}^{n+1}$ that are asymptotic to $C$. As an application, we prove that not every regular cone with vertex at the origin has a smooth complete properly embedded self-shrinker asymptotic to it.
Let $(M, g)$ be a complete Riemannian $3$-manifold that is asymptotic to Schwarzschild with positive mass and whose scalar curvature vanishes. We \textsl{unconditionally} characterize the large, embedded stable constant mean curvature spheres in $(M, g)$.
Let $(M^3, g)$ be an asymptotically flat 3-manifold with positive ADM mass. In this paper, we show that each leaf of the canonical foliation is the unique isoperimetric surface for the volume it encloses. Our proof is based on the "fill-in" argument and sharp isoperimetric inequality on asymptotically flat 3-manifold with nonnegative scalar curvature.
Let $(M, g)$ be an asymptotically flat Riemannian $3$-manifold with non-negative scalar curvature and positive mass. We show that each leaf of the canonical foliation through stable constant mean curvature surfaces of the end of $(M, g)$ is uniquely isoperimetric for the volume it encloses.
We prove that a shrinking gradient Ricci soliton which agrees to infinite order at spatial infinity with one of the standard cylindrical metrics on $S^k\times \RR^{n-k}$ for $k\geq 2$ along some end must be isometric to the cylinder on that end. When the underlying manifold is complete, it must be globally isometric either to the cylinder or (when $k=n-1$) to its $\ZZ_2$-quotient.
We prove a uniqueness result for asymptotically conical (AC) gradient shrinking solitons for the Laplacian flow of closed G_2-structures: If two gradient shrinking solitons to Laplacian flow are asymptotic to the same closed G_2-cone, then their G_2-structures are equivalent, and in particular, the two solitons are isometric. The proof extends Kotschwar and Wang's argument for uniqueness of AC gradient shrinking Ricci solitons. We additionally show that the symmetries of the G_2-structure of an AC shrinker end are inherited from its asymptotic cone; under a mild assumption on the fundamental g…
Singularities of the mean curvature flow of an embedded surface in R^3 are expected to be modelled on self-shrinkers that are compact, cylindrical, or asymptotically conical. In order to understand the flow before and after the singular time, it is crucial to know the uniqueness of tangent flows at the singularity. In all dimensions, assuming the singularity is multiplicity one, uniqueness in the compact case has been established by the second-named author, and in the cylindrical case by Colding-Minicozzi. We show here the uniqueness of multiplicity-one asymptotically conical tangent flows for…
We study deformations of Riemannian metrics on a given manifold equipped with a codimension-one foliation subject to quantities expressed in terms of its second fundamental form. We prove the local existence and uniqueness theorem and estimate the existence time of solutions for some particular cases. The key step of the solution procedure is to find (from a system of quasilinear PDE's) the principal curvatures of the foliation. Examples for extrinsic Newton transformation flow, extrinsic Ricci flow, and applications to foliations on surfaces are given.
Biconformal deformations take place in the presence of a conformal foliation, deforming by different factors tangent to and orthogonal to the foliation. Four-manifolds endowed with a conformal foliation by surfaces present a natural context to put into effect this process. We develop the tools to calculate the transformation of the Ricci curvature under such deformations and apply our method to construct Einstein $4$-manifolds. One particular family of examples have ends that collapse asymptotically to ${\mathbb R}^2$.
We introduce a category of rigid geometries on singular spaces which are leaf spaces of foliations and are considered as leaf manifolds. We single out a special category $\mathfrak F_0$ of leaf manifolds containing the orbifold category as a full subcategory. Objects of $\mathfrak F_0$ may have non-Hausdorff topology unlike the orbifolds. The topology of some objects of $\mathfrak F_0$ does not satisfy the separation axiom $T_0$. It is shown that for every ${\mathcal N}\in Ob(\mathfrak F_0)$ a rigid geometry $ζ$ on $\mathcal N$ admits a desingularization. Moreover, for every such $\mathcal N$ …
We revisit the interplay between the mass, the center of mass and the large scale behavior of certain isoperimetric quotients in the setting of asymptotically flat $3$-manifolds (both without and with a non-compact boundary). In the boundaryless case, we first check that the isoperimetric deficits involving the total mean curvature recover the ADM mass in the asymptotic limit, thus extending a classical result due to G. Huisken. Next, under a Schwarzschild asymptotics and assuming that the mass is positive we indicate how the implicit function method pioneered by R. Ye and refined by L.-H. Hua…
A flow of metrics, $g_t$, on a manifold is a solution of a differential equation $\dt g = S(g)$, where a geometric functional $S(g)$ is a symmetric $(0,2)$-tensor usually related to some kind of curvature. The mixed sectional curvature of a foliated manifold regulates the deviation of leaves along the leaf geodesics. We introduce and study the flow of metrics on a foliation (called the 'Partial Ricci Flow'), where $S=-2 r$ and $r$ is the partial Ricci curvature of the foliation; in other words, the velocity for a unit vector $X$ orthogonal to the leaf, $-2 r(X,X)$, is the mean value of section…
We introduce the notion of an asymptotically Poincaré family of surfaces in an end of a quasi-Fuchsian manifold. We show that any such family gives a foliation of an end by asymptotically parallel convex surfaces, and that the asymptotic behavior of the first and second fundamental forms determines the projective structure at infinity. As an application, we establish a conjecture of Labourie from 1992 regarding constant Gaussian curvature surfaces. We also derive consequences for constant mean curvature surfaces.
We show that Wang's proof of uniqueness of Anti-de Sitter spacetime can be adapted to provide uniqueness results for strictly static asymptotically locally hyperbolic vacuum metrics with toroidal infinity, and to prove negativity of the free energy $E-TS$ of asymptotically AdS black holes with higher-genus horizons.
We show a uniqueness result for the n-dimensional spatial Reissner-Nordström manifold: a static, electrovacuum, asymptotically flat system which is asymptotically Reissner-Nordström is a subextremal Reissner-Nordström manifold with positive mass, provided that its inner boundary is a (possibly disconnected) photon sphere that fulfils a suitably defined quasilocal subextremality condition. Our result implies a number of earlier uniqueness results for the Schwarzschild and the Reissner-Nordström manifolds in the static, (electro-)vacuum, asymptotically flat context, both for photon sphere and bl…
In 1996, Huisken-Yau showed that every three-dimensional Riemannian manifold can be uniquely foliated near infinity by stable closed CMC-surfaces if it is asymptotically equal to the (spatial) Schwarzschild solution and has positive mass. Their assumptions were later weakened by Metzger, Huang, Eichmair-Metzger and others. We further generalize these existence results in dimension three by proving that it is sufficient to assume asymptotic flatness and non-vanishing mass to conclude the existence and uniqueness of the CMC-foliation and explain why this seems to be the conceptually optimal resu…
