arXiv subjects

Jan Metzger

Publications and source records attributed to Jan Metzger.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Geometrically defined asymptotic coordinates in General Relativity

We review and announce recent results on the asymptotic behavior of asymptotically Euclidean relativistic initial data sets and asymptotic foliations thereof. In particular, we discuss the geometrization of asymptotic flatness and of asymptotic geometric (in-)\-variants such as mass, energy, linear momentum, angular momentum and center of mass as well as their relations to certain geometric asymptotic foliations such as the CMC- and STCMC-foliations.

math.AP↗

arXiv2023

Huisken-Yau-type uniqueness for area-constrained Willmore spheres

Let $(M,g)$ be a Riemannian $3$-manifold that is asymptotic to Schwarzschild. We study the existence of large area-constrained Willmore spheres $Σ\subset M$ with non-negative Hawking mass and inner radius $ρ$ dominated by the area radius $λ$. If the scalar curvature of $(M,g)$ is non-negative, we show that no such surfaces with $\log λ\ll ρ$ exist. This answers a question of G. Huisken.

math.DG↗

arXiv2022

Local space time constant mean curvature and constant expansion foliations

Inspired by the small sphere-limit for quasi-local energy we study local foliations of surfaces with prescribed mean curvature. Following the strategy used by Ye in 1991 to study local constant mean curvature foliations, we use a Lyapunov Schmidt reduction in an n+1 dimensional manifold equipped with a symmetric 2-tensor to construct the foliations around a point, prove their uniqueness and show their nonexistence conditions. To be specific, we study two foliation conditions. First we consider constant space-time mean curvature surfaces. These foliations were used by Cederbaum and Sakovich to characterize the center of mass in general relativity. Second, we study local foliations of constant expansion surfaces.

math.DG↗

arXiv2019

Refined position estimates for surfaces of Willmore type in Riemannian manifolds

In this paper we consider surfaces which are critical points of the Willmore functional subject to constrained area. In the case of small area we calculate the corrections to the intrinsic geometry induced by the ambient curvature. These estimates together with the choice of an adapted geometric center of mass lead to refined position estimates in relation to the scalar curvature of the ambient manifold.

math.DG↗

arXiv2019

Local foliation of manifolds by surfaces of Willmore type

We show the existence of a local foliation of a three dimensional Riemannian manifold by critical points of the Willmore functional subject to a small area constraint around non-degenerate critical points of the scalar curvature. This adapts a method developed by Rugang Ye to construct foliations by surfaces of constant mean curvature.

math.DG↗

arXiv2016

Jenkins-Serrin type results for the Jang equation

Let (M, g, k) be an initial data set for the Einstein equations of general relativity. We prove that there exist solutions of the Plateau problem for marginally outer trapped surfaces (MOTSs) that are stable in the sense of MOTSs. This answers a question of G. Galloway and N. O'Murchadha and is an ingredient in the proof of the spacetime positive mass theorem given by L.-H. Huang, D. Lee, R. Schoen and the first author. We show that a canonical solution of the Jang equation exists in the complement of the union of all weakly future outer trapped regions in the initial data set with respect to a given end, provided that this complement contains no weakly past outer trapped regions. The graph of this solution relates the area of the horizon to the global geometry of the initial data set in a non-trivial way. We prove the existence of a Scherk-type solution of the Jang equation outside the union of all weakly future or past outer trapped regions in the initial data set. This result is a natural exterior analogue for the Jang equation of the classical Jenkins--Serrin theory. We extend and complement existence theorems by Jenkins-Serrin, Spruck, Nelli-Rosenberg, Hauswirth-Rosenberg-Spruck, and Pinheiro for Scherk-type constant mean curvature graphs over polygonal domains in (M, g), where (M, g) is a complete Riemannian surface. We can dispense with the a priori assumptions that a sub solution exists and that (M, g) has particular symmetries. Also, our method generalizes to higher dimensions.

math.DG↗

arXiv2013

Willmore flow of surfaces in Riemannian spaces I: Concentration-compactness

In this paper we study the local regularity of closed surfaces immersed in a Riemannian 3-manifold flowing by Willmore flow. We establish a pair of concentration-compactness alternatives for the flow, giving a lower bound on the maximal time of existence of the flow proportional to the concentration of the curvature and area at initial time. The estimate from the first theorem is purely in terms of the concentration of curvature at initial time but applies only to ambient spaces with non-positive sectional curvature. The second requires additional information on the concentration of area at initial time but applies in more general background spaces. Applications of these results shall appear in forthcoming work.

math.DG↗

arXiv2013

Unique isoperimetric foliations of asymptotically flat manifolds in all dimensions

We describe explicitly the large volume isoperimetric regions of a natural class of asymptotically flat manifolds, in any dimension. These isoperimetric regions detect the mass and the center of mass of such manifolds when viewed as initial data sets for the Einstein equations in general relativity. Using the positivity of the isoperimetric mass established by G. Huisken we prove an existence result for large isoperimetric regions in general asymptotically flat three manifolds with non-negative scalar curvature.

math.DG↗

arXiv2013

Large isoperimetric surfaces in initial data sets

We study the isoperimetric structure of asymptotically flat Riemannian 3-manifolds (M,g) that are C^0-asymptotic to Schwarzschild of mass m>0. Refining an argument due to H. Bray we obtain an effective volume comparison theorem in Schwarzschild. We use it to show that isoperimetric regions exist in (M, g) for all sufficiently large volumes, and that they are close to centered coordinate spheres. This implies that the volume-preserving stable constant mean curvature spheres constructed by G. Huisken and S.-T. Yau as well as R. Ye as perturbations of large centered coordinate spheres minimize area among all competing surfaces that enclose the same volume. This confirms a conjecture of H. Bray. Our results are consistent with the uniqueness results for volume-preserving stable constant mean curvature surfaces in initial data sets obtained by G. Huisken and S.-T. Yau and strengthened by J. Qing and G. Tian. The additional hypotheses that the surfaces be spherical and far out in the asymptotic region in their results are not necessary in our work.

math.DG↗

arXiv2012

On large volume preserving stable constant mean curvature surfaces in asymptotically flat manifolds

Let (M,g) be a complete 3-dimensional asymptotically flat manifold with everywhere positive scalar curvature. We prove that, given a compact subset K of M, all volume preserving stable constant mean curvature surfaces of sufficiently large area will avoid K. This complements the work of G. Huisken and S.-T. Yau and J. Qing and G. Tian whose results show that large spherical volume preserving stable constant mean curvature spheres that omit a large compact subset of an asymptotically flat manifold that is $C^4$-asymptotic to positive mass Schwarzschild are uniquely determined by their area. The analysis of Huisken and Yau as well as that of Qing and Tian takes place in the asymptotic regime of M. Here we adapt ideas from the minimal hypersurface proof of the positive mass theorem by R. Schoen and S.-T. Yau and develop geometric properties of volume preserving stable constant mean curvature surfaces to handle surfaces that run through the part of M that is far from Euclidean.

math.DG↗

arXiv2012

Minimizers of the Willmore functional with a small area constraint

We show the existence of a smooth spherical surface minimizing the Willmore functional subject to an area constraint in a compact Riemannian three-manifold, provided the area is small enough. Moreover, we classify complete surfaces of Willmore type with positive mean curvature in Riemannian three-manifolds.

math.DG↗

arXiv2010

Jang's equation and its applications to marginally trapped surfaces

In this paper we survey some recent advances in the analysis of marginally outer trapped surfaces (MOTS). We begin with a systematic review of results by Schoen and Yau on Jang's equation and its relationship with MOTS. We then explain recent work on the existence, regularity, and properties of MOTS and discuss the consequences for the trapped region. We include an outlook with some directions for future research.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2009

Blowup of Jang's equation at outermost marginally trapped surfaces

The aim of this paper is to collect some facts about the blowup of Jang's equation. First, we discuss how to construct solutions that blow up at an outermost MOTS. Second, we exclude the possibility that there are extra blowup surfaces in data sets with non-positive mean curvature. Then we investigate the rate of convergence of the blowup to a cylinder near a strictly stable MOTS and show exponential convergence near a strictly stable MOTS.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2009

The time evolution of marginally trapped surfaces

In previous work we have shown the existence of a dynamical horizon or marginally trapped tube (MOTT) containing a given strictly stable marginally outer trapped surface (MOTS). In this paper we show some results on the global behavior of MOTTs assuming the null energy condition. In particular we show that MOTSs persist in the sense that every Cauchy surface in the future of a given Cauchy surface containing a MOTS also must contain a MOTS. We describe a situation where the evolving outermost MOTS must jump during the coalescence of two seperate MOTSs. We furthermore characterize the behavior of MOTSs in the case that the principal eigenvalue vanishes under a genericity assumption. This leads to a regularity result for the tube of outermost MOTSs under the genericity assumption. This tube is then smooth up to finitely many jump times. Finally we discuss the relation of MOTSs to singularities of a space-time.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2009

Foliations of asymptotically flat manifolds by surfaces of Willmore type

The goal of this paper is to establish the existence of a foliation of the asymptotic region of an asymptotically flat manifold with nonzero mass by surfaces which are critical points of the Willmore functional subject to an area constraint. Equivalently these surfaces are critical points of the Geroch-Hawking mass. Thus our result has applications in the theory of General Relativity.

math.DG↗

arXiv2007

Surfaces with maximal constant mean curvature

In this note we consider asymptotically flat manifolds with non-negative scalar curvature and an inner boundary which is an outermost minimal surface. We show that there exists an upper bound on the mean curvature of a constant mean curvature surface homologous to a subset of the interior boundary components. This bound allows us to find a maximizer for the constant mean curvature of a surface homologous to the inner boundary. With this maximizer at hand, we can construct an increasing family of sets with boundaries of increasing constant mean curvature. We interpret this familiy as a weak version of a CMC foliation.

math.DG↗

arXiv2007

The area of horizons and the trapped region

This paper considers some fundamental questions concerning marginally trapped surfaces, or apparent horizons, in Cauchy data sets for the Einstein equation. An area estimate for outermost marginally trapped surfaces is proved. The proof makes use of an existence result for marginal surfaces, in the presence of barriers, curvature estimates, together with a novel surgery construction for marginal surfaces. These results are applied to characterize the boundary of the trapped region.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2006

No mass drop for mean curvature flow of mean convex hypersurfaces

A possible evolution of a compact hypersurface in R^n by mean curvature past singularities is defined via the level set flow. In the case that the initial hypersurface has positive mean curvature, we show that the Brakke flow associated to the level set flow is actually a Brakke flow with equality. We obtain as a consequence that no mass drop can occur along such a flow. As a further application of the techniques used above we give a new variational formulation for mean curvature flow of mean convex hypersurfaces.

math.AP↗