Isotropic cosmological singularities. II: The Einstein-Vlasov system (Q1808044)

Part I, cf. ibid. 276, 257-293 (1999; Zbl 1003.83027). In this paper the conformal Einstein equations for massless collisionless gas cosmologies which admit an isotropic singularity are considered. The techniques of relativistic kinetic theory for massless collisionless gas and of conformal reformulation of Einstein's field equations are reviewed. The remarkable theorem, that the initial distribution function uniquely determines the metric and the second fundamental form of the initial surface is shown. Moreover it is proved, that for a given metric of the initial surface there exists a distribution function, which is not uniquely determined. For spatially homogeneous cosmologies, it is shown that the Cauchy problem is well posed with data consisting of the particle distribution function. Several interesting examples for Friedman-Robertson-Walker cosmologies are considered. Part III, cf. ibid. 282, 395-419 (2000; Zbl 0973.83042).