A local existence theorem for the Einstein--Dirac equation. (Q1864928)

Let \((M,g)\) be a smooth \(m\)-dimensional Riemannian spin manifold. The Einstein-Dirac equation is: \[ D\psi = \lambda \psi, ~~ Ric - {S\over 2} g = T, \] where \(Ric\) is the Ricci curvature of \(g\), \(S\) is its scalar curvature, and \(T\) is defined, using the real part \((\;,\;)\) of the standard Hermitian product on the spinor bundle over \(M\), as: \[ T(X,Y) = \pm {1\over 4} (X\cdot \nabla_Y \psi + Y\cdot \nabla_X \psi, \psi). \] A solution \(\psi\) of this equation is an Einstein spinor, with eigenvalue \(\lambda\). The weak Killing equation is: \[ \nabla_X \psi = {m\over 2(m-1)S} dS(X) \psi + {1\over 2(m-1)S} X\cdot dS \cdot \psi + {2\lambda\over (m-2)S} Ric(X)\cdot \psi - {\lambda\over m-2} X\cdot \psi. \] Any solution of the weak Killing equation can be rescaled to yield a solution of the Einstein-Dirac equation. The main result of the paper is that if \((N,h)\) is an \(n\)-dimensional Riemannian manifold which admits a real Killing spinor \(\psi_0\), then, for any real number \(\lambda\), there exists a warped product metric on \(M\times {\mathbb R}\) which admits an Einstein spinor \(\psi\) of eigenvalue \(\lambda\). If \(\psi_0\) is a parallel spinor, then \(\psi\) is a solution of the weak Killing equation. The proof uses Cartan's moving frame formalism. The author sets up an initial-value formulation of the Einstein-Dirac equation, and uses the underlying foliation to bring it to a hyperbolic form.