No label defined (Q4344749)

Let \(S^n\) denote the unit sphere in \(\mathbb{R}^{n+1}\) and \(T_1S^n\) its unit tangent sphere bundle. \(T_1S^n\) is a Stiefel manifold and it may be represented as the homogeneous space \(SO(n+1)/SO(n-1)\) or \(SO(n+1)\times SO(2)/SO(n-1)\times SO(2)\), respectively. Both spaces are equipped with their canonical normal metric determined by the negative of the Killing form. In this paper, the author determines for the first case the \(SO(n+1)\)-invariant metrics and for the second case the \(SO(n+1)\times SO(2)\)-invariant metrics. Moreover, he determines for these metrics the corresponding Ambrose-Singer tensor \(T\) of type \((1,2)\) (i.e., the homogeneous structure \(T\)) and discusses the possible cases by considering the classes of homogeneous structures introduced by \textit{F. Tricerri} and the reviewer in [Homogeneous structures on Riemannian manifolds (Lond. Math. Soc. Lecture Notes Series 83, Cambridge Univ. Pr.) (1983; Zbl 0509.53043)]. The last section is devoted to the study of the submersion \(\pi: M= T_1S^n\to B= SO(n+1)/SO(n-1)\times SO(2)\). Here, \(B\) is the space of oriented geodesics in \(M\). This Grassmann manifold \(B\) is an irreducible symmetric space. The author determines the \(SO(n+1)\)-invariant metrics on \(T_1S^n\) such that \(\pi\) becomes a Riemannian submersion. Furthermore, he considers the case where these metrics are Einsteinian and finds in this way the unique case (up to a homothety) discovered already by Kobayashi.