No label defined (Q4033101)

The authors study global properties of geodesics in subclasses of static Lorentz manifolds \((M_ 0,\mathbb{R})\) (here the orbits of the Killing vector field are given by \(\{x\}\times\mathbb{R}\), \(x\in M_ 0)\). They define the notion of a ``static universe'', demanding various completeness conditions. The Schwarzschild solution is an example. They prove that each two points \((x_ 0,t_ 0)\), \((x_ 1,t_ 1)\) which can be joined by a curve satisfying a certain integral inequality can also be joined by a timelike geodesic. Under the additional condition that \(M_ 0\) is not contractible they prove that the number of these geodesics joining \((x_ 0,t_ 0)\) and \((x_ 1,t_ 1)\) diverges when \(| t_ 1-t_ 0|\to\infty\). They also define the concept of a static Lorentzian manifold with convex boundary. This definition appears quite technical to me but the Schwarzschild solution is an example. They prove that static Lorentzian manifolds with convex boundary are geodetically connected (i.e. each two points can be joined by a geodesic). If in addition \(M_ 0\) is not contractible then for each two points there exists a sequence of spacelike geodesics with diverging energy joining them. They use variational methods to prove their results.