On the Penrose inequality and the role of auxiliary spinor fields (Q4357963)

In [J. Phys. A 16, 3349-3353 (1983; MR 85b:83026)], \textit{M. Ludvigsen} and \textit{J. A. G. Vickers} presented a proof of a special case of the Penrose inequality. The present paper re-examines their proof and includes nonvacuum terms which for simplicity they had eliminated, and it considers the role of an auxiliary spinor field which they had used. It is shown that this spinor field may be eliminated, and this simplifies the proof considerably since it avoids any appeal to existence questions. As a consequence, the author presents a complete proof of the following theorem. Let the spacetime \(M\) be asymptotically flat at past null infinity, and suppose \(M\) contains a convex trapped surface \(T\) which is homeomorphic to a 2-sphere which may be connected to past null infinity by a non-singular null hypersurface \(N\). If the dominant energy condition is satisfied, then the Penrose inequality holds where the mass term is the Bondi, or Arnowitt-Deser-Misner, mass with respect to the intersection of \(N\) and past null infinity. The paper concludes with a discussion of the possibility of obtaining an analogous simplification in the proof of the Positive Mass Theorem of \textit{R. Schoen} and \textit{S.-T. Yau} [Commun. Math. Phys. 65, 45-76 (1979; Zbl 0405.53045); ibid. 79, 231-260 (1981; Zbl 0494.53028)].