Separation of variables and symmetry operators for the conformally invariant Klein-Gordon equation on curved spacetime (Q1065375)

The aim of this work is: i) to illustrate the differences between separability properties of the Laplace-Beltrami equation: \(g^{- 1/2}(\partial /\partial x^ i)(g^{1/2} g^{ij} \partial \psi /\partial x^ j)=0\) and the conformally invariant Klein-Gordon equation: \(g^{-1/2}(\partial /\partial x^ i)(g^{1/2} g^{ij} \partial \psi /\partial x^ j)+(R/6)\psi =0\) by studying these properties for two classes of metrics. ii) to construct the symmetry operators whose existence is implied by these separability properties. iii) to give a tensorial expression for the most general second-order symmetry operator for the conformally invariant Klein-Gordon operator. First the authors put in evidence a metric \(ds^ 2\) which appears by integration of the field equation for the class D and they give a necessary and sufficient condition for this metric to have an R- separability solution of the conformally Klein-Gordon equation and the Laplace-Beltrami equation expressed in this metric. Taking other metrics they suggest that a general theory of separability of the conformally invariant Klein-Gordon equation analogous to that existing for the Laplace-Beltrami equation remains to be formulated.