On the space of null geodesics of a spacetime: the compact case, Engel geometry and retrievability

DOI10.1007/S00209-023-03412-5arXiv2112.06955OpenAlexW4389476871MaRDI QIDQ6139852FDOQ6139852

Authors: Adrià Marín-Salvador, Roberto Rubio 

Publication date: 19 December 2023

Published in: Mathematische Zeitschrift (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: We compute the contact manifold of null geodesics of the family of spacetimes ${(S^{2}imes{S}^1,g_{c}irc-frac{d}^2{c}^{2}d{t}^2)}_{d,cinmathbb{N}^{+}extcoprime}$, with $g_{c}irc$ the round metric on $mathbb{S}^2$ and $t$ the $mathbb{S}^1$-coordinate. We find that these are the lens spaces $L(2c,1)$ together with the pushforward of the canonical contact structure on $STmathbb{S}^{2}congL(2,1)$ under the natural projection $L(2,1)oL(2c,1)$. We extend this computation to $Zimesmathbb{S}^1$ for $Z$ a Zoll manifold. On the other hand, motivated by these examples, we show how Engel geometry can be used to describe the manifold of null geodesics of a certain class of three-dimensional spacetimes, by considering the Cartan deprolongation of their Lorentz prolongation. We characterize the three-dimensional contact manifolds that are contactomorphic to the space of null geodesics of a spacetime. The characterization consists in the existence of an overlying Engel manifold with a certain foliation and, in this case, we also retrieve the spacetime.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/2112.06955

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zbMATH Keywords

contact manifoldsLorentzian manifoldsnull geodesicsZollfrei manifolds

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Geodesics in global differential geometry (53C22) Global differential geometry of Lorentz manifolds, manifolds with indefinite metrics (53C50) Global theory of symplectic and contact manifolds (53D35)

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