arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Martin Lesourd.
Using the recent work of Brendle--Wang on the Riemannian positive mass theorem, we prove the spacetime positive mass theorem for asymptotically flat and asymptotically hyperboloidal initial data sets in arbitrary dimensions.
We prove a positive mass theorem for spin initial data sets $(M,g,k)$ that contain an asymptotically flat end and a shield of dominant energy (a subset of $M$ on which the dominant energy scalar $\mu-|J|$ has a positive lower bound). In a similar vein, we show that for an asymptotically flat end $\mathcal{E}$ that violates the positive mass theorem (i.e. $\mathrm{E} < |\mathrm{P}|$), there exists a constant $R>0$, depending only on $\mathcal{E}$, such that any initial data set containing $\mathcal{E}$ must violate the hypotheses of Witten's proof of the positive mass theorem in an $R$-neighborhood of $\mathcal{E}$. This implies the positive mass theorem for spin initial data sets with arbitrary ends, and we also prove a rigidity statement. Our proofs are based on a modification of Witten's approach to the positive mass theorem involving an additional independent timelike direction in the spinor bundle.
This white paper outlines the plans of the History Philosophy Culture Working Group of the Next Generation Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration.
For manifolds with a distinguished asymptotically flat end, we prove a density theorem which produces harmonic asymptotics on the distinguished end, while allowing for points of incompleteness (or negative scalar curvature) away from this end. We use this to improve the "quantitative" version of the positive mass theorem (in dimensions $3\leq n\leq 7$), obtained by the last two named authors with S.-T. Yau [LUY21], where stronger decay was assumed on the distinguished end. We also give an alternative proof of this theorem based on a relationship between MOTS and $μ$-bubbles and our recent work on the spacetime positive mass theorem with boundary [LLU21].
We generalize Y. Shi and L.-F.\ Tam's \cite{ShiTam} nonnegativity result for the Brown-York mass, by considering nonnegative scalar curvature (NNSC) fill-ins that need only be complete rather than compact. Moreover, the NNSC fill-ins need not even be complete as long the incompleteness is ``shielded'' by a region with positive scalar curvature and occurs occurs sufficiently far away. We accomplish this by generalizing P.~Miao's~\cite{Miao02} positive mass theorem with corners to asymptotically flat manifolds that may have other complete ends, or possibly incomplete ends that are appropriately shielded. We can similarly extend other results on the compact NNSC fill-in problem to allow for complete (or shielded) NNSC fill-ins. In particular, we prove the following generalization of a theorem of Miao~\cite{Miao20}: Given any metric $γ$ on a closed manifold $Σ^{n-1}$, there exists a constant $λ$ such that for any complete (or shielded) NNSC fill-in $(Ω^n, g)$ of $(Σ^{n-1},γ)$, we have $\min_ΣH \le λ$, where $H$ is the mean curvature of $Σ$ with respect to $g$.
We prove a harmonic asymptotics density theorem for asymptotically flat initial data sets with compact boundary that satisfy the dominant energy condition. We use this to settle the spacetime positive mass theorem, with rigidity, for initial data sets with apparent horizon boundary in dimensions less than $8$ without a spin assumption.
We prove that if in a spacetime endowed with a merely continuous metric, a complete partial Cauchy hypersurface has nonempty Cauchy horizon, then the horizon is caused by the presence of almost closed causal curves behind it or by the influence of points at infinity. This statement is related to strong cosmic censorship and a conjecture of Wald. In this light, Wald's conjecture can be reformulated as a PDE problem about the location of Cauchyh horizons inside black hole interiors.
Currently available topological censorship theorems are meant for gravitationally isolated black hole spacetimes with cosmological constant $Λ=0$ or $Λ<0$. Here, we prove a topological censorship theorem that is compatible with $Λ>0$ and which can be applied to whole universes containing possibly multiple collections of black holes. The main assumption in the theorem is that distinct black hole collections eventually become isolated from one another at late times, and the conclusion is that the regions near the various black hole collections have trivial fundamental group, in spite of there possibly being nontrivial topology in the universe.
For an admissible class of smooth compact initial data sets with boundary, we prove a comparison theorem between the Wang/Liu-Yau quasi-local mass of the boundary and the Hawking mass of strictly minimizing hulls in the Jang graphs of the domain. Using this, we prove a quasi-local Penrose inequality that involves these quasi-local masses of the boundary and the area of an outermost marginally outer trapped surface (MOTS) in the domain or the area of minimizing minimal surface within the Jang graphs. Moreover, we obtain sufficient conditions for the (non)existence of a MOTS within a domain, in the spirit of the folklore hoop conjecture.
Let $X$ be a closed $3$-manifold, $\mathcal{M}_{R>0}$ the space of metrics on $X$ with positive scalar curvature, and $\text{Diff}(X)$ the group of diffeomorphisms of $X$. Marques proves the fundamental result that $\mathcal{M}_{R>0}/ \text{Diff}(X)$ is path connected. Using this and the theorem of Cerf in differential topology, Marques shows that the space of asymptotically flat metrics with nonnegative scalar curvature on $\mathbb{R}^3$ is path connected. Based on Carlotto-Li's generalization of Marques' result to the case of compact manifold with boundary, we show that the space of asymptotically flat metrics with nonnegative scalar curvature and mean convex boundary on $\mathbb{R}^3\backslash B^3$ is path connected. The differential topology part of Marques' argument no longer yields the desired result for $\mathbb{R}^3\setminus B^3$, but we bypass this issue by finding a more elementary proof. We also include a path-connectedness result for the space of black hole initial data sets, which can be thought of as a necessary condition for the Final State Conjecture.
We prove a Riemannian positive mass theorem for manifolds with a single asymptotically flat end, but otherwise arbitrary other ends, which can be incomplete and contain negative scalar curvature. The incompleteness and negativity is compensated for by large positive scalar curvature on an annulus, in a quantitative fashion. In the complete noncompact case with nonnegative scalar curvature, we have no extra assumption and hence prove a long-standing conjecture of Schoen and Yau.
In a general Lorentzian manifold M, the past lightcone of a point is a proper subset of M that does not carry enough information to determine the rest of M. That said, if M is a globally hyperbolic Cauchy development of vacuum initial data on a Cauchy surface S and there is a point whose past lightcone contains S, then the contents of such a lightcone determines all of M (up to isometry). We show some results that describe what properties of M guarantee that past lightcones do indeed determine all or at least significant portions of M. Null lines and observer horizons, which are well known features of the de-Sitter spacetime, play a prominent role.
Using minimal hypersurfaces, we obtain topological obstructions to admitting complete metrics with positive scalar curvature on a given class of non-compact n-manifolds with n less than 8. We show that the Liouville theorem for a locally conformally flat n-manifold of non-negative scalar curvature follows from the impossibility of there being a positive scalar curvature metric on its connect sum with the n-torus. With the recent work of Chodosh-Li, the Liouville theorem is now proved in all remaining cases. Finally, using MOTS instead of minimal hypersurfaces, we show an Initial Data Set version of these results with the Dominant Energy Scalar appearing instead of positive scalar curvature.
We explore various notions of stability for surfaces embedded and immersed in spacetimes and initial data sets. The interest in such surfaces lies in their potential to go beyond the variational techniques which often underlie the study of minimal and CMC surfaces. We prove two versions of Christodoulou-Yau estimate for $\mathbf{H}$-stable surfaces, a Cohn-Vossen type inequality for non-compact stable marginally outer trapped surface (MOTS), and a global theorem on the topology of $\mathbf{H}$-stable surfaces. Moreover, we give a definition of capillary stability for MOTS with boundary. This notion of stability leads to an area inequality and a local splitting theorem for free boundary stable MOTS. Finally, we establish an index estimate and a diameter estimate for free boundary MOTS. These are straightforward generalizations of Chen-Fraser-Pang and Carlotto-Franz results for free boundary minimal surfaces, respectively.
Based on scale critical initial data, we construct smooth asymptotically flat Cauchy initial data for the Einstein vacuum system that does not contain Marginally Outer Trapped Surfaces (MOTS) but whose future evolution contains a trapped region, which itself is bounded by an apparent horizon (a smooth hypersurface foliated by MOTS). Although the long time behaviour of these solutions is unknown, a statement of Kerr Stability would yield a dynamical, scale critical, non-spherically symmetric class of vacuum examples for the conjectures of Weak Cosmic Censorship and Final State. Owing to estimates obtained for the ADM mass of the data and the area of the MOTS foliating the apparent horizon, this construction yields a dynamical setting in which to test the conjectured spacetime Penrose Inequality. We show that the inequality holds in an open region in the future of the initial data, which itself can be controlled by the parameters of the initial data.
Cosmological singularity theorems such as that of Hawking and Penrose assume local curvature conditions as well as global ones like the existence of a compact (achronal) slice. Here, we prove a new singularity theorem for chronological spacetimes that satisfy what we call a `past null focusing' condition. Such a condition forces all null geodesics with future endpoint to develop a pair of conjugate points if past complete. By the Einstein field equations, such a condition will be satisfied if the density of matter fields remains sufficiently high towards the past of the spacetime, as may be expected in certain cosmological scenarios. The theorem obtained doesn't make starting assumptions about the spacetime's topology, such as the existence of a compact achronal slice, and if in addition to a `past null focusing' condition we assume the timelike convergence condition, then further consequences pertaining to the existence of CMC foliations and the character of the singularity are obtained. With the addition of the timelike convergence condition, we obtain the conclusion that all timelike geodesics are past incomplete, which is much stronger than the usual single incomplete non-spacelike geodesic.
Chruściel, Isenberg, and Pollack constructed a class of vacuum cosmological spacetimes that do not admit Cauchy surfaces with constant mean curvature. We prove that, for sufficiently large values of the gluing parameter, these examples are both future and past null geodesically incomplete. The authors are honored to dedicate this paper to Robert Bartnik on the occasion of his 60th birthday.
We offer a mathematically rigorous basis for the widely held suspicion that full black hole evaporation is in tension with predictability. Based on conditions expressing the global causal structure of evaporating black hole spacetimes, we prove two theorems in Lorentzian geometry showing that such spacetimes either fail to be causally simple or fail to be causally continuous. These theorems, when combined with recent results \cite{AM} on the causal structure of spacetimes with timelike boundary, bear significantly on the question of whether these spacetimes permit for a predictable evolution.