On the differentiability conditions at spacelike infinity

Abstract

We consider space-times which are asymptotically flat at spacelike infinity, i^0. It is well known that, in general, one cannot have a smooth differentiable structure at i^0, but have to use direction dependent structures. Instead of the oftenly used C^{>1}-differentiabel structure, we suggest a weaker differential structure, a C^{1^+} structure. The reason for this is that we have not seen any completions of the Schwarzschild space-time which is C^{>1} in both spacelike and null directions at {i^0}. In a C^{1^+} structure all directions can be treated equal, at the expense of logarithmic singularities at {i^0}. We show that, in general, the relevant part of the curvature tensor, the Weyl part, is free from these singularities, and that the (rescaled) Weyl tensor has a certain symmetry.