On null submanifolds in spacetimes (Q579633)

The author gives a systematic study of the structure of submanifolds S in a space-time M of arbitrary dimension for which the restriction of the Lorentz metric to their tangent bundle is degenerate (null submanifolds). In contrast to the non-degenerate case the usual decomposition into complementary tangent and normal parts does not work in this situation. The main tool to overcome this difficulty is the so-called null line subbundle of TS along every null submanifold S which is uniquely determined. Therefore at the beginning elementary properties of null submanifolds are studied which are related with their null line subbundle. Then the relations between the null generators of S and the separation of S by space-like submanifolds are discussed. Generalizing a quotient construction which generally has been used for the study of null geodesics, the author associates a canonical Riemannian vector bundle to S and establishes a second fundamental tensor in these terms. The general properties of this construction are outlined. Finally the deviation of null congruences in null submanifolds is introduced and its relation to the second fundamental tensor is demonstrated.