Cohomogeneity one actions on the three-dimensional Einstein universe (Q2181576)

The Einstein universe \(\mathrm{Ein}^{1,2}\) is the projectivization of the nullcone in the real vector space \(\mathbb{R}^{2,3}\), endowed with a quadratic form of signature \((2,3)\). The space \(\mathrm{Ein}^{1,2}\) is a compact submanifold of \(\mathbb{R}P^4\), and the metric on the nullcone induces a Lorentzian conformal structure on \(\mathrm{Ein}^{1,2}\). The group \(O(2, 3)\) is the group of linear isometries of \(\mathbb{R}^{2,3}\) and it acts on the Einstein universe conformally. The full conformal group \(\mathrm{Conf}(E^{1,2})\) is isomorphic to \(\mathrm{PO}(2, 3)\). It is known that every locally conformally flat Lorentzian manifold of dimension \(n+1 \ge 3\) admits a \((\mathrm{Conf}(\mathrm{Ein}^{1,n}), \mathrm{Ein}^{1,n})\)-structure. In particular, the Lorentzian model spaces of constant sectional curvature \(c\) are the following: the Minkowski space \(E^{1,n}\) for \( c = 0\), the Anti de-Sitter space for \(c = -1\) and the de-Sitter space for \(c = 1\) are conformally equivalent to some open dense subsets of \(\mathrm{Ein}^{1,n}\). This article mainly covers conformal actions of cohomogeneity one on the three-dimensional Einstein universe \(\mathrm{Ein}^{1,2}\). This is done by considering representation of the acting group into the Lie group \(\mathrm{Conf}(\mathrm{Ein}^{1,2})\) (up to conjugacy). Also the causal character of the codimension one orbits, induced by cohomogeneity one actions on \(\mathrm{Ein}^{1,2}\), is studied. Let \(G \subset \mathrm{SO}_0(2,3)\) be a connected Lie group which acts on \(\mathrm{Ein}^{1,2}\) properly and with cohomogeneity one. Then it is proved that \(G\) is conjugate to \(\mathrm{SO}(3)\) or to \(\mathrm{SO}(2) \times \mathrm{SO}(2)\). Furthermore, the action of SO(3) on \(\mathrm{Ein}^{1,2}\) admits a codimension one foliation, on which each leaf is a spacelike hypersphere. For the action of \(\mathrm{SO}(2) \times\mathrm{SO}(2)\) every 2-dimensional orbit is conformally equivalent to the 2-dimensional Einstein universe \(\mathrm{Ein}^{1,1}\) (which is diffeomorphic to the torus \(T^2\)). Let \(G\) be a connected Lie subgroup of \(\mathrm{Conf}(\mathrm{Ein}^{1,2})\) which acts on \(\mathrm{Ein}^{1,2}\) reducibly and with cohomogeneity one. Then it is proved that \(G\) fixes some point of the projective space \(\mathbb{R}P^4\). So every reducible cohomogeneity one action of \(G\) on \(\mathrm{Ein}^{1,2}\) preserves a line \(l \subset\mathbb{R}^{2,3}\). The line \(l\) may be lightlike, spacelike or timelike. The orbits for this Lie groups \(G\) are described in detail. Also all connected Lie subgroups of dimension \(\ge 2\) in \(\mathrm{Conf}(\mathrm{Ein}^{1,2})\) are described (with a sketch of proof).