The Eikonal equation in flat space: Null surfaces and their singularities. I

DOI10.1063/1.532777zbMATH Open1059.83508arXivgr-qc/9809019OpenAlexW2090862139MaRDI QIDQ4701722FDOQ4701722

Authors: Simonetta Frittelli, Ezra T. Newman, Gilberto Silva-Ortigoza 

Publication date: 21 November 1999

Published in: Journal of Mathematical Physics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: The level surfaces of solutions to the eikonal equation define null or characteristic surfaces. In this note we study, in Minkowski space, properties of these surfaces. In particular we are interested both in the singularities of these ``surfaces (which can in general self-intersect and be only piece-wise smooth) and in the decomposition of the null surfaces into a one parameter family of two-dimensional wavefronts which can also have self-intersections and singularities. We first review a beautiful method for constructing the general solution to the flat-space eikonal equation; it allows for solutions either from arbitrary Cauchy data or for time independent (stationary) solutions of the form S=t-S_{0}(x,y,z). We then apply this method to obtain global, asymptotically spherical, null surfaces that are associated with shearing ("bad") two-dimensional cuts of null infinity; the surfaces are defined from the normal rays to the cut. This is followed by a study of the caustics and singularities of these surfaces and those of their associated wavefronts. We then treat the same set of issues from an alternative point of view, namely from Arnold's theory of generating families. This treatment allows one to deal (parametrically) with the regions of self-intersection and non-smoothness of the null surfaces, regions which are difficult to treat otherwise. Finally we generalize the analysis of the singularities to families of solutions of the eikonal equation.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/gr-qc/9809019

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• The Eikonal equation in asymptotically flat space–times
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Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Asymptotic procedures (radiation, news functions, (mathcal{H} )-spaces, etc.) in general relativity and gravitational theory (83C30) Theory of singularities and catastrophe theory (58K99)

Cites Work

• Characteristic initial data and wavefront singularities in general relativity
• Theory of light cone cuts of null infinity
• On the dynamics of characteristic surfaces
• Caustics of wavefronts in general relativity
• GR via characteristic surfaces

Cited In (10)

• Lightlike hypersurfaces along spacelike submanifolds in Minkowski space-time
• Lightlike hypersurfaces along spacelike submanifolds in de Sitter space
• Null surfaces and their singularities in three-dimensional Minkowski space-time
• Gravitational lensing from a spacetime perspective
• The theory of caustics and wave front singularities with physical applications
• Hamilton-Jacobi equation and the breaking of the WKB approximation
• Pseudo-Z symmetric space-times
• Null surfaces formulation in three dimensions
• Singularities of lightlike hypersurfaces in Minkowski four-space
• A note on the null surface formulation of GR

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