The Einstein-Vlasov system with a scalar field (Q2574901)

This interesting paper is devoted to the Einstein-Vlasov system coupled to a nonlinear scalar field with a nonnegative potential in locally spatially homogeneous space-time. Actually, that is an expanding cosmological model studied by many researchers during the last decades. Particle systems in the macroscopic world are modeled statistically by distribution functions. The models being considered in this paper are those in which collisions between particles are sufficiently rare. Therefore, the collision can be neglected. The collection of the collisionless particles is described by the Vlasov equations. The matter considered in the physical models under consideration is said to be collisionless matter or Vlasov matter. The fields described by the Einstein equations are coupled to the Vlasov equation and a nonlinear scalar field by the energy-momentum tensor, which is of form \[ T_{\alpha\beta }=T_{\alpha\beta }^{(\text{Vlasov})}+\nabla_{\alpha }\phi\nabla_{\beta }\phi -(0.5\nabla^{\gamma }\phi\nabla_{\gamma }\phi +V(\phi ))g_{\alpha\beta }, \] where \(\phi \) is a scalar field which represents dark energy, \(V\) is a potential and \(T_{\alpha\beta }^{(\text{Vlasov})}\) is the energy-momentum tensor of the collisionless matter described by the Vlasov equation. It has the form \[ \partial_tf+\{2k_{j}^{i}v^{j}-(1+g_{rs}v^rv^s)^{-1/2}\gamma _{mn}^iv^mv^n \}\partial_{v^i}f=0, \] where \(k_{ij}\) is the second fundamental form, \(v^i\) are spatial components of the momentum in some frame, \(\gamma _{mn}^i\) are the Ricci rotation coefficients, \(g_{rs}\) is the metric, \(f\) is the distribution function. The main result is the existence of the solutions defined globally in time. When the potential of the scalar field \(V\) is of an exponential form, then the cosmological model corresponds to accelerated expansion. Such a system shows the causal geodesic completeness of the space-time towards the future. The asymptotic behavior of solutions of the considered system in future time is discussed. It shows that some power-law expansion exists.