An ultra-hyperbolic analogue of the Robinson-Kerr theorem (Q1083096)

This letter discusses the geometry of a conformal compactification \(M_ Q\) of \({\mathbb{R}}^{2,2}\), flat space with an ''ultra-hyperbolic'' metric. The techniques are related to Penrose's twistor transform but, because of the signature, can be developed without complex variables. \(M_ Q\) is the ''Klein quadric'' of lines in \({\mathbb{R}}{\mathbb{P}}^ 3\). The authors consider the double fibration \[ {\mathbb{R}}{\mathbb{P}}^ 3\leftarrow^{\mu}F\to^{\rho}M_ Q. \] They define twisted 2-forms \(\Omega^ 2_{impair}\) on \(M_ Q\) and an integral transform \[ {\mathcal R}: \Omega^ 2_{impair}(M)\to C^{\infty}({\mathbb{R}}{\mathbb{P}}^ 3),\quad ({\mathcal R}\omega)_ q=\int_{\mu^{-1}(q)}\rho^*(\omega). \] The transpose of this is an integral transform: \[ {\mathcal R}^ t: \Omega^ 3({\mathbb{R}}{\mathbb{P}}^ 3)\to \Omega^ 2_{impair}(M). \] It is proved that \({\mathcal R}^ t\) gives a (1-1) correspondence between elements \(\phi\) of \(\Omega^ 3({\mathbb{R}}{\mathbb{P}}^ 3)\) and solutions \({\mathcal R}^ t(\phi)\) of the selfdual Maxwell equations on \(M_ Q\). This is an analogue of the Robinson-Kerr theorem for Lorentzian metrics. Null solutions of Maxwell's equation are obtained, in this way, from distributional forms \(\phi\), supported on surfaces in \({\mathbb{R}}{\mathbb{P}}^ 3\). These solutions have singularities in \(M_ Q\).