Complex generalized Killing spinors on Riemannian \(\mathrm{Spin}^c\) manifolds (Q2258331)

On a Riemannian Spin manifold \((M^n,g)\) of dimension \(n\geq 2\), a non-trivial spinor field \(\psi\) is called a \textit{complex generalized Killing spinor field } with smooth Killing function \(K\) if \[ \nabla_X\psi=KX.\psi,\tag{1} \] for all vector fields \(X\) on \(M\), where \(\nabla \) denotes the spinorial Levi-Civita connection, ``.'' the Clifford multiplication and \(K:=a+ib\) is a complex function with real part function \(a\) and imaginary part function \(b\). The existence of such spinors imposes several restrictions on the geometry and topology of the manifold. The authors cite several authors and work on this issue. Among them, \textit{A. Moroianu} studied Equation (1) on Riemannian \(\mathrm{Spin}^c\) manifolds with \(b=0\) and a constant \(a\), i.e., when \(\psi\) is a parallel spinor or a real Killing spinor [Commun. Math. Phys. 187, No. 2, 417--427 (1997; Zbl 0888.53035)]. Moroianu proved that a simply connected complete Riemannian \(\mathrm{Spin}^c\) manifold carrying a parallel spinor is isometric to the Riemannian product of a Kähler manifold (endowed with its canonical Spin\(^c\) structure) with a Spin manifold carrying a parallel spinor. Then \textit{M. Herzlich} and \textit{A. Moroianu} [Ann. Global Anal. Geom. 17, No. 4, 341--370 (1999; Zbl 0988.53020)] considered Equation (1) for \(b=0\) on Riemannian \(\mathrm{Spin}^c\) manifolds. They proved that for \(n\geq 4\) real generalized \(\mathrm{Spin}^c\) Killing spinor do not exist, i.e., they are already real \(\mathrm{Spin}^c\) Killing spinor. In dimension 2 and 3, these authors constructed explicit examples of \(\mathrm{Spin}^c\) manifolds carrying real generalized Killing spinors, i.e., where the real Killing function is not constant. In the present paper, the authors extend the study of Equation (1) on Riemannian Spin\(^c\) manifolds. After giving some necessary preliminaries of Spin\(^c\) structures, they consider general properties of complex generalized Killing spinors and they prove the following main theorem: {Theorem 1.1}. {\mathsf Let \((M^n,g)\) be a connected Riemannian Spin\(^c\) manifold of dimension \(n\geq 4\), carrying a complex generalized Killing spinor \(\psi\) with Killing function \(K=a+ib\), \(a,b\in C^{\infty}(M,\mathbb{R})\). Then, \(a\) or \(b\) vanishes identically on \(M\). In other words, \(\psi\) is already a generalized Killing spinor with Killing function \(a\) (and hence \(a\) is constant, i.e., \(\psi\) is a real Killing spinor) or \(\psi\) is an imaginary generalized spinor with Killing function \(ib\) (\(b\) is constant or a function). } In addition, the authors examine which Riemannian \(\mathrm{Spin}^c\) manifolds admit imaginary (\(b\) is constant) and imaginary generalized (\(b\) is a non-constant function) Killing spinors.