Initial data in general relativity described by expansion, conformal deformation and drift

DOI10.4310/CAG.2021.V29.N1.A7MaRDI QIDQ2662952zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors David J. Maxwell

Publication date 15 April 2021

Published in Communications in Analysis and Geometry (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1407.1467

zbMATH Keywords

conformal relationEinstein constraint equationsinitial data in general relativity

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Einstein equations (35Q76) Differential geometry of immersions (minimal, prescribed curvature, tight, etc.) (53C42) Global differential geometry of Lorentz manifolds, manifolds with indefinite metrics (53C50) Einstein's equations (general structure, canonical formalism, Cauchy problems) (83C05)

Abstract: The conformal method is a technique for finding Cauchy data in general relativity solving the Einstein constraint equations, and its parameters include a conformal class, a conformal momentum (as measured by a densitized lapse), and a mean curvature. Although the conformal method is successful in generating constant mean curvature (CMC) solutions of the constraint equations, it is unknown how well it applies in the non-CMC setting, and there have been indications that it encounters difficulties there. We are therefore motivated to investigate alternative generalizations of the CMC conformal method. Introducing a densitized lapse into the ADM Lagrangian, we find that solutions of the momentum constraint can be described in terms of three parameters. The first is conformal momentum as it appears in the standard conformal method. The second is volumetric momentum, which appears as an explicit parameter in the CMC conformal method, but not in the non-CMC formulation. We have called the third parameter drift momentum, and it is the conjugate momentum to infinitesimal motions in superspace that preserve conformal class and volume form up to independent diffeomorphisms. This decomposition of solutions of the momentum constraint leads to extensions of the CMC conformal method where conformal and volumetric momenta both appear as parameters. There is more than one way to treat drift momentum, in part because of an interesting duality that emerges, and we identify three candidates for incorporating drift into a variation of the conformal method.

Recommendations

• Stability for small data: the drift model of the conformal method
• Conformal fields and the structure of the space of solutions of the Einstein constraint equations
• The constraint equations in the presence of a scalar field: the case of the conformal method with volumetric drift
• A model problem for conformal parameterizations of the Einstein constraint equations
• Conformally covariant parametrizations for relativistic initial data

Cited in

(9)

• Initial data sets, conformal geometry and the topology of physical space in general relativity
• Solutions to the Einstein constraint equations with a small TT-tensor and vanishing Yamabe invariant
• Cyclic spacetimes through singularity scattering maps. The laws of quiescent bounces
• The constraint equations in the presence of a scalar field: the case of the conformal method with volumetric drift
• Conformal fields and the structure of the space of solutions of the Einstein constraint equations
• Solutions to the Einstein-scalar field constraint equations with a small TT-tensor
• Stability for small data: the drift model of the conformal method
• Optimal shielding for Einstein gravity
• A phase space approach to the conformal construction of non-vacuum initial data sets in general relativity

This page was built for publication: Initial data in general relativity described by expansion, conformal deformation and drift

Report a bug (only for logged in users!)Click here to report a bug for this page (MaRDI item Q2662952)