Families of degenerating Poincaré-Einstein metrics on \(\mathbb{R}^4\) (Q6183504)

A Poincare-Einstein metric is a noncompact Einstein metric \((M,g)\) with a specific asymptotic behavior that gives rise to a conformal boundary metric at infinity. For example the Poincare unit ball model of hyperbolic space gives rise to the conformal metric at infinity given by the round sphere. Poincare-Einstein metrics have been extensively studied in mathematics, and they also play an important role in physics. In dimension 4 Poincare-Einstein metrics degenerate in only three ways: the formation of orbifold singularities, the formation of cusps and collapsing. Degenerations of the second kind are less well understood than degenerations of the first and third kinds, and many unanswered questions have been raised. For example, can cusps form within a specific conformal class of the moduli space of Poincare-Einstein metrics? Is the topology of the ambient manifold M restricted in some way if Poincare-Einstein metrics can degenerate to cusps? In this paper the authors construct previously unknown smooth families of Poincare-Einstein metrics on \(\mathbb{R}^{4}\) that degenerate to cusps and to singularities of various types in their conformal infinity. Theorem A. There exists a smooth family of Poincare-Einstein metrics on \(\mathbb{R}^{4}\) parametrized by an open set \(\Omega\) in \(\mathbb{R}^{2}\). Approaching some points of the boundary \(\partial \Omega\) the metrics converge to the hyperbolic space or degenerate to one or two cusps. These cusps have an asymptotic behavior that is explicitly given in local coordinates. Theorem B. There exists a smooth family of Poincare-Einstein metrics on \(\mathbb{R}^{4}\) whose conformal infinity approaches, in some limit, one of three types of behaviors: a conical edge singularity, a naked singularity or a cusp end. Examples of these three types are explicitly given in local coordinates.