The formation of black holes in general relativity. (Q960594)

This monograph presents the theory of the formation of black holes in pure general relativity, by the focusing of incoming gravitational waves. The results described give a first insight into the longtime behavior of the dynamics of general relativity in the large, while the initial data are not confined to narrow prescribed situations. Mainly three methods are used to obtain the results, where the third is new. The first method gives estimates for the curvature in Einstein's equations, from the viewpoint of the Weyl tensor and the Bianchi identities. For this a set of suitable vector fields is necessary. The second method constructs the required sets of vector fields by using the geometry of the two-parameter foliation of the spacetime geometry by the level sets of two functions. The third method, called short pulse method, allows in the context of Euler-Lagrange systems of partial differential equations of hyperbolic type to establish an existence theorem for the development of the initial data if a non-linear system is involved. It is used here in the context of general relativity. The first chapter gives the general introduction in the basic geometric construction, the structure equations of the double null foliation (the optical structure equations) and the Bianchi identities. In Chapter 2 the analysis of the equations for the initial lightlike hypersurface is performed. It is shown that special curvature components and their derivatives are bounded and interestingly are different from the linear regime. The next two chapters consider only the propagation equation among the optical structure equations, which are ordinary differential equations for the connection coefficients along the null generators. The first part describes the estimates for the connection coefficients and explains the smallness condition, the second part derives estimates for the first derivatives of these coefficients on the sections of the null generators. Chapter 5 is devoted to the isoperimetric and Sobolev inequalities of the section surfaces and the \(L^p\) elliptic theory for these surfaces. The main part is the proof of a uniformization theorem for a 2-dimensional Riemannian manifold. The following chapters deal with the coupled systems, ordinary differential equations along the null generators coupled to elliptic systems on their sections. This allows to obtain estimates for the connection coefficients. The results of Chapter 5 (especially \(L^4\) elliptic theory) are applied in 6 to obtain estimates for the second derivatives of the connection coefficients on the section surfaces. Chapter 7 applies the \(L^2\) elliptic theory developed in 5 to obtain estimates for the third derivatives of the connection coefficients. In chapter 8 multiplier fields and commutation fields are defined and \(L^{\infty}\) estimates for their deformation tensors are found. Chapter 9 give \(L^4\) estimates on the sections of null generators for the first derivatives of the deformation tensor and \(L^2\) estimates for the second derivatives of the deformation tensor on the null generators. The next chapter introduces bootstrap assumptions which enable to establish Sobolev inequalities on the null generators. In chapter 11, with the assumption of additional bootstrap conditions, coercivity properties for the Lie derivatives of tensor fields on the section of null generators are found, which are necessary to control the development of energies and fluxes. Chapter 12 describes the method and defines the energy and fluxes according to the short pulse method. Various comparison sentences allow to find bounds for the curvature quantities which estimate the connection coefficients and the deformation tensor. Again additional bootstrap conditions are needed. The essential point is the existence theorem 12.1 which states that for a development of initial data which extend far enough into the future, there is eventually a chance to form trapped surfaces within this development. In the Chapters 13-15 estimates for the error integrals of the absolute values of the divergences of the energy momentum density vector fields are calculated. Two different kinds of these integrals arise. The first kind coming from the deformation tensor of the multiplier fields are considered in chapter 13 with the help of the concepts of integrability index and excess index. The second kind arising from the Weyl currents are considered in Chapters 14 and 15 by the same methods. The proof of the existence theorem is completed in Chapter 16, first the required bounds for the energy(-error) quantities are deduced. It is proved that canonical null coordinates can be set up and the metric extends smoothly in these coordinates. In the last chapter the theorem on the formation of closed trapped surfaces is established. This is a a remarkable book, clearly written and interesting. During the proofs there is some lengthiness, but this is necessary for clarity. The techniques described are of general interest in wide parts of mathematical physics.