Some results on Cauchy surface criteria in Lorentzian geometry (Q1087159)

The author introduces the concept of local achronality in Lorentzian manifolds M and proves the following main theorem: Let S be a connected closed locally achronal edgeless subset of M which obeys the following conditions. (a) For any point p in the causal future (past) of S, any past (future) inextendible null geodesic issuing from p must intersect and re-emerge from S. (b) There exists a point q in M and an inextendible nonspacelike curve \(\gamma\) issuing from q such that \(\gamma\) intersects S for only finitely many parameter values. Then S is a Cauchy surface. This general result is used to obtain Cauchy surface criteria in more specific situations. The second main result deals with the topological structure of Lorentzian manifolds admitting connected closed locally achronal edgeless subsets S which are not Cauchy surfaces. It is shown that under the additional assumption of condition (a) from the main theorem M has the structure of product modulo certain identifications resulting from the points of intersection of S with the flow of a timelike vector field on M.