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Lan-Hsuan Huang

Publications and source records attributed to Lan-Hsuan Huang.

30 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

The spacetime positive mass theorem in dimensions less than eight

We prove the spacetime positive mass theorem in dimensions less than eight. This theorem states that for any asymptotically flat initial data set satisfying the dominant energy condition, the ADM energy-momentum vector $(E,P)$ of the initial data satisfies the inequality $E \ge |P|$. Previously, this theorem was proven only for spin manifolds by E. Witten. Our proof is a modification of the minimal hypersurface technique that was used by the last named author and S.-T. Yau to establish the time-symmetric case. Instead of minimal hypersurfaces, we use marginally outer trapped hypersurfaces (MOTS) whose existence is guaranteed by earlier work of the first named author. An important part of our proof is to introduce an appropriate substitute for the area functional used in the time-symmetric case. We also establish a density theorem of independent interest that allows us to reduce the general case of our theorem to the case of initial data that has harmonic asymptotics and satisfies the strict dominant energy condition.

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Intrinsic flat stability of the positive mass theorem for graphical hypersurfaces of Euclidean space

The rigidity of the Positive Mass Theorem states that the only complete asymptotically flat manifold of nonnegative scalar curvature and zero mass is Euclidean space. We study the stability of this statement for spaces that can be realized as graphical hypersurfaces in Euclidean space. We prove (under certain technical hypotheses) that if a sequence of complete asymptotically flat graphs of nonnegative scalar curvature has mass approaching zero, then the sequence must converge to Euclidean space in the pointed intrinsic flat sense. The appendix includes a new Gromov-Hausdorff and intrinsic flat compactness theorem for sequences of metric spaces with uniform Lipschitz bounds on their metrics.

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Stability of the positive mass theorem for graphical hypersurfaces of Euclidean space

The rigidity of the positive mass theorem states that the only complete asymptotically flat manifold of nonnegative scalar curvature and zero mass is Euclidean space. We prove a corresponding stability theorem for spaces that can be realized as graphical hypersurfaces in $\mathbb{R}^{n+1}$. Specifically, for an asymptotically flat graphical hypersurface $M^n\subset \mathbb{R}^{n+1}$ of nonnegative scalar curvature (satisfying certain technical conditions), there is a horizontal hyperplane $Π\subset \mathbb{R}^{n+1}$ such that the flat distance between $M$ and $Π$ in any ball of radius $ρ$ can be bounded purely in terms of $n$, $ρ$, and the mass of $M$. In particular, this means that if the masses of a sequence of such graphs approach zero, then the sequence weakly converges (in the sense of currents, after a suitable vertical normalization) to a flat plane in $\mathbb{R}^{n+1}$. This result generalizes some of the earlier findings of the second author and C. Sormani and provides some evidence for a conjecture stated there.

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On the validity of the definition of angular momentum in general relativity

We exam the validity of the definition of the ADM angular momentum without the parity assumption. Explicit examples of asymptotically flat hypersurfaces in the Minkowski spacetime with zero ADM energy-momentum vector and finite non-zero angular momentum vector are presented. We also discuss the Beig-Ó Murchadha-Regge-Teitelboim center of mass and study analogous examples in the Schwarzschild spacetime.

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Hypersurfaces with nonnegative scalar curvature

We show that closed hypersurfaces in Euclidean space with nonnegative scalar curvature are weakly mean convex. In contrast, the statement is no longer true if the scalar curvature is replaced by the k-th mean curvature, for k greater than 2, as we construct the counter-examples for all k greater than 2. Our proof relies on a new geometric inequality which relates the scalar curvature and mean curvature of a hypersurface to the mean curvature of the level sets of a height function. By extending the argument, we show that complete non-compact hypersurfaces of finitely many regular ends with nonnegative scalar curvature are weakly mean convex, and prove a positive mass theorem for such hypersurfaces.

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The equality case of the Penrose inequality for asymptotically flat graphs

We prove the equality case of the Penrose inequality in all dimensions for asymptotically flat hypersurfaces. It was recently proven by G. Lam that the Penrose inequality holds for asymptotically flat graphical hypersurfaces in Euclidean space with non-negative scalar curvature and with a minimal boundary. Our main theorem states that if the equality holds, then the hypersurface is a Schwarzschild solution. As part of our proof, we show that asymptotically flat graphical hypersurfaces with a minimal boundary and non-negative scalar curvature must be mean convex, using the argument that we developed earlier. This enables us to obtain the ellipticity for the linearized scalar curvature operator and to establish the strong maximum principles for the scalar curvature equation.

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Specifying angular momentum and center of mass for vacuum initial data sets

We show that it is possible to perturb arbitrary vacuum asymptotically flat spacetimes to new ones having exactly the same energy and linear momentum, but with center of mass and angular momentum equal to any preassigned values measured with respect to a fixed affine frame at infinity. This is in contrast to the axisymmetric situation where a bound on the angular momentum by the mass has been shown to hold for black hole solutions. Our construction involves changing the solution at the linear level in a shell near infinity, and perturbing to impose the vacuum constraint equations. The procedure involves the perturbation correction of an approximate solution which is given explicitly.

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On the center of mass in general relativity

The classical notion of center of mass for an isolated system in general relativity is derived from the Hamiltonian formulation and represented by a flux integral at infinity. In contrast to mass and linear momentum which are well-defined for asymptotically flat manifolds, center of mass and angular momentum seem less well-understood, mainly because they appear as the lower order terms in the expansion of the data than those which determine mass and linear momentum. This article summarizes some of the recent developments concerning center of mass and its geometric interpretation using the constant mean curvature foliation near infinity. Several equivalent notions of center of mass are also discussed.

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On the Center of Mass of Isolated Systems with General Asymptotics

We propose a definition of center of mass for asymptotically flat manifolds satisfying Regge-Teitelboim condition at infinity. This definition has a coordinate-free expression and natural properties. Furthermore, we prove that our definition is consistent both with the one proposed by Corvino and Schoen and another by Huisken and Yau. The main tool is a new density theorem for data satisfying the Regge-Teitelboim condition.

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Foliations by Stable Spheres with Constant Mean Curvature for Isolated Systems with General Asymptotics

We prove the existence and uniqueness of constant mean curvature foliations for initial data sets which are asymptotically flat satisfying the Regge-Teitelboim condition near infinity. It is known that the (Hamiltonian) center of mass is well-defined for manifolds satisfying this condition. We also show that the foliation is asymptotically concentric, and its geometric center is the center of mass. The construction of the foliation generalizes the results of Huisken-Yau, Ye, and Metzger, where strongly asymptotically flat manifolds and their small perturbations were studied.

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