In this paper we first study some global properties of the energy functional on a non-reversible Finsler manifold. In particular we present a fully detailed proof of the Palais--Smale condition under the completeness of the Finsler metric. Moreover we define a Finsler metric of Randers type, which we call Fermat metric, associated to a conformally standard stationary spacetime. We shall study the influence of the Fermat metric on the causal properties of the spacetime, mainly the global hyperbolicity. Moreover we study the relations between the energy functional of the Fermat metric and the Fermat principle for the light rays in the spacetime. This allows us to obtain existence and multiplicity results for light rays, using the Finsler theory. Finally the case of timelike geodesics with fixed energy is considered.
We introduce the notion of a standard static Finsler spacetime where the base is a Finsler manifold. We prove some results which connect causality with the Finslerian geometry of the base extending analogous ones for static and stationary Lorentzian spacetimes.
We study Finsler spacetimes and Killing vector fields taking care of the fact that the generalized metric tensor associated to the Lorentz-Finsler function $L$ is in general well defined only on a subset of the slit tangent bundle. We then introduce a new class of Finsler spacetimes endowed with a timelike Killing vector field that we call stationary splitting Finsler spacetimes. We characterize when a Finsler spacetime with a timelike Killing vector field is locally a stationary splitting. Finally, we show that the causal structure of a stationary splitting is the same of one of two Finsleria…
In this work, a version of Fermat's principle for causal curves with the same energy in time orientable Finsler spacetimes is proved. We calculate the secondvariation of the {\it time arrival functional} along a geodesic in terms of the index form associated with the Finsler spacetime Lagrangian. Then the character of the critical points of the time arrival functional is investigated and a Morse index theorem in the context of Finsler spacetime is presented.
Physical foundations for relativistic spacetimes are revisited, in order to check at what extent Finsler spacetimes lie in their framework. Arguments based on inertial observers (as in the foundations of Special Relativity and Classical Mechanics) are shown to correspond with a double linear approximation in the measurement of space and time. While General Relativity appears by dropping the first linearization, Finsler spacetimes appear by dropping the second one. The classical Ehlers-Pirani-Schild approach is carefully discussed and shown to be compatible with the Lorentz-Finsler case. The pr…
We show that the index of a lightlike geodesic in a conformally standard stationary spacetime is equal to the index of its spatial projection as a geodesic of a Finsler metric associated to the spacetime. Moreover we obtain the Morse relations of lightlike geodesics connecting a point to an integral line of the standard timelike Killing vector field by using Morse theory on the associated Finsler manifold. To this end, we prove a splitting lemma for the energy functional of a Finsler metric. Finally, we show that the reduction to Morse theory of a Finsler manifold can be done also for timelike…
The Penrose plane wave limit is a remarkable property of Lorentzian spacetimes. Here, we discuss its extension to Finsler spacetimes by introducing suitable lightlike coordinates and adapting the Lorentzian definition of pp-waves. New examples of such Finsler pp-waves are also presented.
A systematic study of (smooth, strong) cone structures $\C$ and Lorentz-Finsler metrics $L$ is carried out. As a link between both notions, cone triples $(Ω,T, F)$, where $Ω$ (resp. $T$) is a 1-form (resp. vector field) with $Ω(T)\equiv 1$ and $F$, a Finsler metric on $\ker (Ω)$, are introduced. Explicit descriptions of all the Finsler spacetimes are given, paying special attention to stationary and static ones, as well as to issues related to differentiability. In particular, cone structures $\C$ are bijectively associated with classes of anisotropically conformal metrics $L$, and the notion …
The general notion of anisotropic connections $\nabla$ is revisited, including its precise relations with the standard setting of pseudo-Finsler metrics, i.e., the canonic nonlinear connection and the (linear) Finslerian connections. In particular, the vertically trivial Finsler connections are identified canonically with anisotropic connections. So, these connections provide a simple intrinsic interpretation of a part of any Finsler connection closer to the Koszul formulation in $M$. Moreover, a new covariant derivative and parallel transport along curves is introduced, taking first a self-pr…
Applying the cosmological principle to Finsler spacetimes, we identify the Lie Algebra of symmetry generators of spatially homogeneous and isotropic Finsler geometries, thus generalising Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker geometry. In particular, we find the most general spatially homogeneous and isotropic Berwald spacetimes, which are Finsler spacetimes that can be regarded as closest to pseudo-Riemannian geometry. They are defined by a Finsler Lagrangian built from a zero-homogeneous function on the tangent bundle, which encodes the velocity dependence of the Finsler Lagrangian in a very sp…
The paper introduces a general mathematical framework for action based field theories on Finsler spacetimes. As most often fields on Finsler spacetime (e.g., the Finsler fundamental function or the resulting metric tensor) have a homogeneous dependence on the tangent directions of spacetime, we construct the appropriate configuration bundles whose sections are such homogeneous fields; on these configuration bundles, the tools of coordinate free calculus of variations can be consistently applied to obtain field equations. Moreover, we prove that general covariance of natural Finsler field Lagra…
We translate Penrose's singularity theorem to a Finsler spacetime. To that end, causal concepts in Lorentzian geometry are extended, including definitions and properties of focal points and trapped surfaces, with careful attention paid to the differences that arise in the Finslerian setting.
In this paper we prove several multiplicity results of $t$-periodic light rays in conformally stationary spacetimes using the Fermat metric and the extensions of the classical theorems of Gromoll-Meyer and Bangert-Hingston to Finsler manifolds. Moreover, we exhibit some stationary spacetimes with a finite number of $t$-periodic light rays and compute a lower bound for the period of the light rays when the flag curvature of the Fermat metric is $η$-pinched.
We investigate whether Szabo's metrizability theorem can be extended to Finsler spaces of indefinite signature. For smooth, positive definite Finsler metrics, this important theorem states that, if the metric is of Berwald type (i.e., its Chern-Rund connection defines an affine connection on the underlying manifold), then it is affinely equivalent to a Riemann space, meaning that its affine connection is the Levi-Civita connection of some Riemannian metric. We show for the first time that this result does not extend to Finsler spacetimes. More precisely, we find a large class of Berwald spacet…
The radar experiment connects the geometry of spacetime with an observers measurement of spatial length. We investigate the radar experiment on Finsler spacetimes which leads to a general definition of radar orthogonality and radar length. The directions radar orthogonal to an observer form the spatial equal time surface an observer experiences and the radar length is the physical length the observer associates to spatial objects. We demonstrate these concepts on a forth order polynomial Finsler spacetime geometry which may emerge from area metric or pre-metric linear electrodynamics or in qua…
It is well-known that static vacuum solutions of Einstein equations are analytic in suitable coordinates. We ask here for an extension of this result in the context of Finsler gravity. We consider Finsler spacetimes that retain several properties of static Lorentzian spacetimes, are Berwald and have vanishing Ricci scalar.
The paper proposes a notion of volume element for Finsler spaces with metrics of Lorentzian signature, equipped with a time orientation. This notion is based on a slight modification of the idea of Holmes-Thompson volume element working for positive definite Finsler metrics and can be used in field-theoretical applications on a Finslerian background. Though the approach assumes the existence of a time orientation, the volume element does not depend on its choice.
The geometry of the Sagnac effect in a stationary region of a spacetime is reviewed with the aim of emphasizing the role of asymmetry of a Finsler metric defined on a spacelike hypersurface associated to a stationary splitting and related to future-pointing null geodesics of the spacetime. We show also that an analogous asymmetry comes into play in the Sagnac effect for timelike geodesics.
Recent links between Finsler Geometry and the geometry of spacetimes are briefly revisited, and prospective ideas and results are explained. Special attention is paid to geometric problems with a direct motivation in Relativity and other parts of Physics.
We consider a triality between the Zermelo navigation problem, the geodesic flow on a Finslerian geometry of Randers type, and spacetimes in one dimension higher admitting a timelike conformal Killing vector field. From the latter viewpoint, the data of the Zermelo problem are encoded in a (conformally) Painleve-Gullstrand form of the spacetime metric, whereas the data of the Randers problem are encoded in a stationary generalisation of the usual optical metric. We discuss how the spacetime viewpoint gives a simple and physical perspective on various issues, including how Finsler geometries wi…
We obtain some results in both Lorentz and Finsler geometries, by using a correspondence between the conformal structure (Causality) of standard stationary spacetimes on $M=\R\times S$ and Randers metrics on $S$. In particular, for stationary spacetimes, we give a simple characterization of when they are causally continuous or globally hyperbolic (including in the latter case, when $S$ is a Cauchy hypersurface), in terms of an associated Randers metric. Consequences for the computability of Cauchy developments are also derived. Causality suggests that the role of completeness in many results o…
We establish the Bonnet-Myers theorem, Laplacian comparison theorem, and Bishop-Gromov volume comparison theorem for weighted Finsler manifolds as well as weighted Finsler spacetimes, of weighted Ricci curvature bounded below by using the weight function. These comparison theorems are formulated with $ε$-range introduced in our previous paper, that provides a natural viewpoint of interpolating weighted Ricci curvature conditions of different effective dimensions. Some of our results are new even for weighted Riemannian manifolds and generalize comparison theorems of Wylie-Yeroshkin and Kuwae-L…
In this paper, we prove that lightlike geodesics of a pseudo-Finsler manifold and its focal points are preserved up to reparametrization by anisotropic conformal changes, using the Chern connection and the anisotropic calculus and the fact that geodesics are critical points of the energy functional and Jacobi fields, the kernel of its index form. This result has applications to the study of Finsler spacetimes.
In a $(1+n)$-dimensional Lorentz--Finsler manifold with $N$-Bakry--Émery Ricci curvature bounded below for $N\in(n,\infty]$, using the Riccati equation techniques, we established the Bishop--Gromov volume comparison for the so-called standard sets for comparisons in Lorentzian volumes (SCLVs).We also established the Günther volume comparison for SCLVs when the flag curvature was bounded above.
The paper proposes extensions of the usual notions of Finslerian volume to time orientable Finsler spacetime manifolds. The basic idea is to replace, in the classical Busemann-Hausdorff and Holmes-Thompson definitions, integration on the indicatrices of the given metric (which are, in Lorentzian signature, non-compact, generally leading to infinite integrals) with integration on ellipsoids. Under certain conditions regarding the time orientations of the given spacetime, these ellipsoids can be attached to the given Lorentzian Finsler metric by means of a variational procedure. While the constr…
We give the details of the proof of the equality between the critical groups, with respect the H^1 and C^1 topology, at a non-degenerate critical point of the energy functional of a non-reversible Finsler manifold (M,F), defined on the Hilbert manifold of the H^1 curves connecting two given points on M.
Berwald geometries are Finsler geometries close to (pseudo)-Riemannian geometries. We establish a simple first order partial differential equation as necessary and sufficient condition, which a given Finsler Lagrangian has to satisfy to be of Berwald type. Applied to $(α,β)$-Finsler spaces, respectively $(A,B)$-Finsler spacetimes, this reduces to a necessary and sufficient condition for the Levi-Civita covariant derivative of the defining $1$-form. We illustrate our results with novel examples of $(α,β)$-Berwald geometries which represent Finslerian versions of Kundt (constant scalar invariant…
The Hawking and Penrose singularity theorems for low regularity Finsler spacetimes
Dipartimento di Matematica, Università degli Studi di Pisa（比萨大学数学系）；Department of Mathematics, University of Toronto（多伦多大学数学系）；Department of Mathematics, University of Osaka（大阪大学数学系）；RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project (AIP)（理化学研究所先进智能研究中心）；Department of Mathematics, University of Vienna（维也纳大学数学系）
We revisit the physical arguments which lead to the definition of the stress-energy tensor $T$ in the Lorentz-Finsler setting $(M,L)$ starting at classical Relativity. Both the standard heuristic approach using fluids and the Lagrangian one are taken into account. In particular, we argue that the Finslerian breaking of Lorentz symmetry makes $T$ an anisotropic 2-tensor (i. e., a tensor for each $L$-timelike direction), in contrast with the energy-momentum vectors defined on $M$. Such a tensor is compared with different ones obtained by using a Lagrangian approach. The notion of divergence is r…
Recently, the old notion of causal boundary for a spacetime V has been redefined in a consistent way. The computation of this boundary $\partial V$ for a standard conformally stationary spacetime V = R x M, suggests a natural compactification $M_B$ associated to any Riemannian metric on M or, more generally, to any Finslerian one. The corresponding boundary $\partial_B M$ is constructed in terms of Busemann-type functions. Roughly, $\partial_B M$ represents the set of all the directions in M including both, asymptotic and "finite" (or "incomplete") directions. This Busemann boundary $\partial_…
In this review, we collect several results for conformally standard stationary spacetimes (SxR,g) obtained in terms of a Finsler metric of Randers type on the orbit manifold S that we call Fermat metric. This metric is obtained by applying the relativistic Fermat principle and it turns out that it encodes all the causal aspects of the spacetime.
In some recent papers, the relations existing between the metric properties of Randers spaces and the conformal geometry of stationary Lorentzian manifolds were discovered and investigated. In this note, we focus on the equality between the index of a geodesic in a Randers space and that of its lightlike lift in the associated conformal stationary spacetime. Moreover we make some remarks about regularity of the energy functional of a Finsler metric on the infinite dimensional manifold of $H^1$ curves between two points, in connection with infinite dimensional techniques in Morse Theory.
We show an analogue of the Lorentzian splitting theorem for weighted Lorentz-Finsler manifolds: If a weighted Berwald spacetime of nonnegative weighted Ricci curvature satisfies certain completeness and metrizability conditions and includes a timelike straight line, then it necessarily admits a one-dimensional family of isometric translations generated by the gradient vector field of a Busemann function. Moreover, our formulation in terms of the $ε$-range introduced in our previous work enables us to unify the previously known splitting theorems for weighted Lorentzian manifolds by Case and Wo…
We develop the theory of weighted Ricci curvature in a weighted Lorentz-Finsler framework and extend the classical singularity theorems of general relativity. In order to reach this result, we generalize the Jacobi, Riccati and Raychaudhuri equations to weighted Finsler spacetimes and study their implications for the existence of conjugate points along causal geodesics. We also show a weighted Lorentz-Finsler version of the Bonnet-Myers theorem based on a generalized Bishop inequality.
A trivial projective change of a Finsler metric $F$ is the Finsler metric $F + df$. I explain when it is possible to make a given Finsler metric both forward and backward complete by a trivial projective change. The problem actually came from lorentz geometry and mathematical relativity: it was observed that it is possible to understand the light-line geodesics of a (normalized, standard) stationary 4-dimensional space-time as geodesics of a certain Finsler Randers metric on a 3-dimensional manifold. The trivial projective change of the Finsler metric corresponds to the choice of another 3-dim…
By using variational calculus and exterior derivative formalism, we proposed in two previous joint papers with S. Siparov a new geometric approach for electromagnetism in pseudo-Finsler spaces. In the present paper, we provide more details, especially regarding generalized currents, the domain of integration and gauge invariance. Also, for flat pseudo-Finsler spaces, we define a generalized energy-momentum tensor (consisting of two blocks), as the symmetrized Noether current corresponding to the invariance of the field Lagrangian with respect to spacetime translations. In curved spaces, one of…
We model pseudo-Finsler geometries, with pseudo-Euclidean signatures of metrics, for two classes of four dimensional nonholonomic manifolds: a) tangent bundles with two dimensional base manifolds and b) pseudo-Riemannian/ Einstein manifolds. Such spacetimes are enabled with nonholonomic distributions and associated nonlinear connection structures and theirs metrics are solutions of the field equations in general relativity or in generalized gravity theories with nonholonomic variables. We rewrite the Schwarzschild metric in Finsler variables and use it for generating new classes of locally ani…
A consistent theory of quantum gravity (QG) at Planck scale almost sure contains manifestations of Lorentz local symmetry violations (LV) which may be detected at observable scales. This can be effectively described and classified by models with nonlinear dispersions and related Finsler metrics and fundamental geometric objects (nonlinear and linear connections) depending on velocity/ momentum variables. We prove that the trapping brane mechanism provides an accurate description of gravitational and matter field phenomena with LV over a wide range of distance scales and recovering in a systema…
I do not agree with the authors of papers arXiv:0806.2184 and arXiv:0901.1023v1 (published in Phys. Lett., respectively, B668 (2008) 453 and B676 (2009) 173). They consider that \textit{"In Finsler manifold, there exists a unique linear connection - the Chern connection ... It is torsion freeness and metric compatibility ... "}. There are well known results (for example, presented in monographs by H. Rund and R. Miron and M. Anastasiei) that in Finsler geometry there exist an infinite number of linear connections defined by the same metric structure and that the Chern and Berwald connections \…
In this paper we obtain an existence theorem for normal geodesics joining two given submanifolds in a globally hyperbolic stationary spacetime. The proof is based on both variational and geometric arguments involving the causal structure of the spacetime, the completeness of suitable Finsler metrics associated to it and some basic properties of a submersion. By this interaction, unlike previous results on the topic, also non--spacelike submanifolds can be handled.
We develop a general method of proving the ellipticity of boundary value problems for the stationary vacuum space time, by showing that the stationary vacuum field equations are elliptic subjected to a geometrically natural collection of boundary conditions in the projection formalism. Using this we prove the manifold theorem for the moduli space of stationary vacuum spacetimes.
The Levi-Civita connection and geodesic equations for a stationary spacetime are studied in depth. General formulae which generalize those for warped products are obtained. These results are applicated to some regions of Kerr spacetime previously studied by using variational methods. We show that they are neither space-convex nor geodesically connected. Moreover, the whole stationary part of Kerr spacetime is not geodesically connected, except when the angular momentum is equal to zero (Schwarzschild spacetime).
We propose a new framework for constructing geometric and physical models on nonholonomic manifolds provided both with Clifford -- Lie algebroid symmetry and nonlinear connection structure. Explicit parametrizations of generic off-diagonal metrics and linear and nonlinear connections define different types of Finsler, Lagrange and/or Riemann-Cartan spaces. A generalization to spinor fields and Dirac operators on nonholonomic manifolds motivates the theory of Clifford algebroids defined as Clifford bundles, in general, enabled with nonintegrable distributions defining the nonlinear connection. …
