Global hyperbolicity and self-adjointness (Q6968098)

For a globally hyperbolic manifold \((M,g)\simeq (R\times\Sigma,-N(t,x)^2\operatorname{dt}+h)\), where \((\Sigma,h)\) is a Riemannian manifold and \(N:M\to (0,\infty)\) a positive smooth function, the Klein-Gordon operator with external potential \(V=V(t,x)\), i.\,e.~\(\square=\nabla^2-V\), takes the form\N\[\N\square=\partial_t^2+f(t,x)\partial_t+w^2,\N\]\Nwhere \(f(t,x)=-\partial_t\operatorname{ln} N+\frac{1}{2}\partial_t\operatorname{ln}\operatorname{det}h\) and\N\[\Nw^2=-N^2\Delta_h+\text{lower order terms}\N\]\Nwith \(\Delta_h\) being the Laplace-Beltrami operator associated with \(h\).\N\NThen \(w^2\) is essentially self-adjoint if the rescaled potential \(N^2V\) is semi-bounded from below and locally \(L^2\) for each fixed time \(t\), and if \((\Sigma,N^{-2}h)\) is geodesically complete.\N\NAssuming that \(V\) satisfies these conditions, the authors discuss for cerveral classes of spacetimes first the globally hyperbolicity of \((M,g)\) and then the geodesically completness of \((\Sigma,N^{-2}h)\). For example, they consider the Morris-Thorne wormhole spacetime, spherically symmetric static spacetimes, such as the Reissner-Nordström or (anti)-de Sitter spacetime, as well as non-static spacetimes like the Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker spactimes or the type I Bianchi universes.