On a type of contact manifolds (Q1207018)

Let \(M^{2m+1}\) be a contact metric manifold and \((\omega,\xi,g)\) its contact metric structure where \(\omega\) is a contact 1-form, \(\xi\) the characteristic vector field and \(g\) an associated Riemannian metric. If the curvature tensor \(R\) satisfies \(R(X,Y)\xi=k\bigl\{\omega(Y)X- \omega(X)Y\bigr\}\), where \(k\) is a real number, then \(M^{2m+1}\) is called contact metric manifold with \(\xi\) belonging to the \(k\)-nullity distribution (shortly \(\xi\in N(k))\); in particular if \(k=1\), \(M^{2m+1}\) is a Sasakian manifold. In the present paper the authors, generalizing other results, prove the following two theorems. A) Let \(M^{2m+1}\) be a contact metric manifold with \(\xi\in N(k)\). If the curvature is harmonic, namely the Ricci tensor \(Q\) satisfies \((\nabla_ XQ)Y=(\nabla_ YQ)X\), then either \(M^{2m+1}\) is locally isometric to the Riemannian product \(\mathbb{E}^{m+1}\times S^ m(4)\) of the Euclidean space with the sphere of constant curvature \(+4\), or \(M^{2m+1}\) is an Einstein Sasakian manifold. B) Let \(M^{2m+1}\) be a contact metric manifold with \(\xi\in N(k)\). If \(R(\xi,X)\cdot C=0\), where \(C\) is the conformal curvature tensor, then either \(M^{2m+1}\) is locally isometric to \(\mathbb{E}^{m+1}\times S^ m(4)\) or \(M^{2m+1}\) is locally isometric to \(S^{2m+1}(1)\). Sasakian manifolds satisfying \(R(X,Y)\cdot C=0\) have been studied by \textit{M. C. Chaki} and \textit{H. Tarafdar} [Soochow J. Math. 16, No. 1, 23-28 (1990; Zbl 0777.53039)]; contact manifolds satisfying \(R(X,\xi)\cdot R=0\) have been studied by the reviewer [Yokohama Math. J. 39, 141-149 (1992; Zbl 0777.53046)].