arXiv subjects

Walter Simon

Publications and source records attributed to Walter Simon.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Spacetime Bartnik Mass Positivity and Temporal Monotonicity for Black Holes

We define a quasilocal mass of Bartnik type, and establish its positivity and temporal monotonicity properties for two classes of domains associated with black holes. More precisely, we first show that the quasilocal mass is strictly positive for spacelike hypersurfaces that are: compact with apparent horizon boundary or noncompact with asymptotically flat ends and containing an apparent horizon in any admissible extension. Secondly, we show that the quasilocal mass is monotonically nondecreasing in time within evolutionary scenarios related to the two aforementioned settings.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2025

Rigidity aspects of a cosmological singularity theorem

Improving a singularity theorem in General Relativity by Galloway and Ling we show the following (cf.\ Theorem 1): If a globally hyperbolic spacetime $M$ satisfying the null energy condition contains a closed, spacelike Cauchy surface $(V,g,K)$ (with metric $g$ and extrinsic curvature $K$) which is 2-convex (meaning that the sum of the lowest two eigenvalues of $K$ is non-negative), then either $M$ is past null geodesically incomplete, or $V$ is a spherical space, or $V$ or some finite cover is a surface bundle over the circle, with totally geodesic fibers. Moreover, (cf.\ Theorem 2) if $(V,g,K)$ admits a $U(1)$ isometry group with corresponding Killing vector $\xi$, we can relax the convexity requirement in terms of a decomposition of $K$ with respect to the directions parallel and orthogonal to $\xi$. Finally, (cf. Propositions 1-3) in the special cases that $V$ is either non-orientable, or non-prime, or an orientable Haken manifold with vanishing second homology, we obtain stronger statements in both Theorems without passing to covers.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2024

Marginally outer trapped tubes in de Sitter spacetime

We prove two results which are relevant for constructing marginally outer trapped tubes (MOTTs) in de Sitter spacetime. The first one holds more generally, namely for spacetimes satisfying the null convergence condition and containing a timelike conformal Killing vector with a "temporal function". We show that all marginally outer trapped surfaces (MOTSs) in such a spacetime are unstable. This prevents application of standard results on the propagation of stable MOTSs to MOTTs. On the other hand, it was shown recently that, for every sufficiently high genus, there exists a smooth, complete family of CMC surfaces embedded in the round 3-sphere S3. This family connects a Lawson minimal surface with a doubly covered geodesic 2-sphere. We show by a simple scaling argument that this result translates to an existence proof for complete MOTTs with CMC sections in de Sitter spacetime. Moreover, the area of these sections increases strictly monotonically. We compare this result with an area law obtained before for holographic screens.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2023

Gravitational instantons with $S^1$ symmetry

Uniqueness results for asymptotically locally flat and asymptotically flat $S^1$-symmetric gravitational instantons are proved using a divergence identity of the type used in uniqueness proofs for static black holes, combined with results derived from the $G$-signature theorem. Our results include a proof of the $S^1$-symmetric version of the Euclidean Black Hole Uniqueness conjecture, a uniqueness result for the Taub-bolt family of instantons, as well as a proof that an ALF $S^1$-symmetric instanton with the topology of the Chen-Teo family of instantons is Hermitian.

math.DG↗

arXiv2019

Vacuum initial data on $\mathbb{S}^3$ from Killing vectors

We construct compact initial data of constant mean curvature $\widetilde{K}$ for Einstein's 4d vacuum equations with $\widehat{\Lambda} = \Lambda - (\widetilde{K}^2/3)$ positive, where $\Lambda$ is the cosmological constant, via the conformal method. To construct a transverse, trace-free (TT) momentum tensor explicitly we first observe that, if the seed manifold has two orthogonal Killing vectors, their symmetrized tensor product is a natural TT candidate. Without the orthogonality requirement, but on locally conformally flat seed manifolds there is a generalized construction for the momentum which also involves the derivatives of the Killing fields found in work by Beig and Krammer [2]. We consider in particular the round three sphere and classify the TT tensors resulting from all possible pairs of its six Killing vectors, focusing on the commuting case where the seed data are $\mathbb{U}(1) \times \mathbb{U}(1)$ -symmetric. As to solving the Lichnerowicz equation, we discuss in particular potential "symmetry breaking" by which we mean that solutions have less symmetries than the equation itself; we compare with the case of the "round donut" of topology $\mathbb{S}^2 \times \mathbb{S}$. In the absence of symmetry breaking, the Lichnerowicz equation for a $\mathbb{U}(1) \times \mathbb{U}(1)$ symmetric momentum on $\mathbb{S}^3$ reduces to an ODE. We analyze distinguished families of solutions and the resulting data via a combination of analytical and numerical techniques. Finally we investigate marginally trapped surfaces of toroidal topology in our data.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2016

Initial data for rotating cosmologies

We revisit the construction of maximal initial data on compact manifolds in vacuum with positive cosmological constant via the conformal method. We discuss, extend and apply recent results of Hebey et al. [19] and Premoselli [31] which yield existence, non-existence, (non-)uniqueness and (linearisation-) stability of solutions of the Lichnerowicz equation, depending on its coefficients. We then focus on so-called $(t,φ)$-symmetric data as "seed manifolds", and in particular on Bowen-York data on the round hypertorus $\mathbb{S}^2 \times \mathbb{S}$ (a slice of Nariai) and on Kerr-deSitter. In the former case, we clarify the bifurcation structure of the axially symmetric solutions of the Lichnerowicz equation in terms of the angular momentum as bifurcation parameter, using a combination of analytical and numerical techniques. As to the latter example, we show how dynamical data can be constructed in a natural way via conformal rescalings of Kerr-deSitter data.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2016

Characterization of (asymptotically) Kerr-de Sitter-like spacetimes at null infinity

We investigate solutions $(\mathcal{M}, g)$ to Einstein's vacuum field equations with positive cosmological constant $\Lambda$ which admit a smooth past null infinity $\mathcal{J}^-$ \`a la Penrose and a Killing vector field whose associated Mars-Simon tensor (MST) vanishes. The main purpose of this work is to provide a characterization of these spacetimes in terms of their Cauchy data on $\mathcal{J}^-$. Along the way, we also study spacetimes for which the MST does not vanish. In that case there is an ambiguity in its definition which is captured by a scalar function $Q$. We analyze properties of the MST for different choices of $Q$. In doing so, we are led to a definition of "asymptotically Kerr-de Sitter-like spacetimes", which we also characterize in terms of their asymptotic data on $\mathcal{J}^-$.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2015

The area-angular momentum inequality for black holes in cosmological spacetimes

For a stable marginally outer trapped surface (MOTS) in an axially symmetric spacetime with cosmological constant $Λ> 0$ and with matter satisfying the dominant energy condition, we prove that the area $A$ and the angular momentum $J$ satisfy the inequality $8π|J| \le A\sqrt{(1-ΛA/4π)(1-ΛA/12π)}$ which is saturated precisely for the extreme Kerr-deSitter family of metrics. This result entails a universal upper bound $|J| \le J_{\max} \approx 0.17/Λ$ for such MOTS, which is saturated for one particular extreme configuration. Our result sharpens the inequality $8π|J| \le A$, [7,14] and we follow the overall strategy of its proof in the sense that we estimate the area from below in terms of the energy corresponding to a "mass functional", which is basically a suitably regularised harmonic map $\mathbb{S}^2 \rightarrow \mathbb{H}^2 $. However, in the cosmological case this mass functional acquires an additional potential term which itself depends on the area. To estimate the corresponding energy in terms of the angular momentum and the cosmological constant we use a subtle scaling argument, a generalised "Carter-identity", and various techniques from variational calculus, including the mountain pass theorem.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2014

Area inequalities for stable marginally outer trapped surfaces in Einstein-Maxwell-dilaton theory

We prove area inequalities for stable marginally outer trapped surfaces in Einstein-Maxwell-dilaton theory. Our inspiration comes on the one hand from a corresponding upper bound for the area in terms of the charges obtained recently by Dain, Jaramillo and Reiris [1] in the pure Einstein-Maxwell case without symmetries, and on the other hand from Yazadjiev's inequality [2] in the axially symmetric Einstein-Maxwell-dilaton case. The common issue in these proofs and in the present one is a functional ${\mathscr W}$ of the matter fields for which the stability condition readily yields an {\it upper} bound. On the other hand, the step which crucially depends on whether or not a dilaton field is present is to obtain a {\it lower} bound for ${\mathscr W}$ as well. We obtain the latter by first setting up a variational principle for ${\mathscr W}$ with respect to the dilaton field $ϕ$, then by proving existence of a minimizer $ψ$ as solution of the corresponding Euler-Lagrange equations and finally by estimating ${\mathscr W}(ψ)$. In the special case that the normal components of the electric and magnetic fields are proportional we obtain the area bound $A \ge 8πP Q$ in terms of the electric and magnetic charges. In the generic case our results are less explicit but imply rigorous `perturbation' results for the above inequality. All our inequalities are saturated for a 2-parameter family of static, extreme solutions found by Gibbons [3]. Via the Bekenstein-Hawking relation $A = 4S$ our results give positive lower bounds for the entropy $S$ which are particularly interesting in the Einstein-Maxwell-dilaton case.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2013

Marginally outer trapped surfaces in higher dimensions

We review the basic setup of Kaluza-Klein theory, namely a 5-dimensional vacuum with a cyclic isometry, which corresponds to Einstein-Maxwell-dilaton theory in 4-dimensional spacetime. We first recall the behaviour of Killing horizons and its generators under bundle lift and projection. We then show that the property of compact surfaces of being (stably) marginally trapped is preserved under lift and projection provided the appropriate ("Pauli-") conformal scaling is used for the spacetime metric. We also discuss and compare recently proven area inequalities for stable axially symmetric 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional marginally outer trapped surfaces.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2013

Self-gravitating Newtonian disks revisited

Recent analytic results concerning stationary, self-gravitating fluids in Newtonian theory are discussed. We give a theorem that forbids infinitely extended fluids, depending on the assumed equation of state and the rotation law. This part extends previous results that have been obtained for static configurations. The second part discusses a Sobolev bound on the mass of the fluid and a rigorous Jeans-type inequality that is valid in the stationary case.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2012

Bounds on area and charge for marginally trapped surfaces with cosmological constant

We sharpen the known inequalities $A Λ\le 4π(1-g)$ and $A\ge 4πQ^2$ between the area $A$ and the electric charge $Q$ of a stable marginally outer trapped surface (MOTS) of genus g in the presence of a cosmological constant $Λ$. In particular, instead of requiring stability we include the principal eigenvalue $λ$ of the stability operator. For $Λ^{*} = Λ+ λ> 0$ we obtain a lower and an upper bound for $ Λ^{*} A$ in terms of $ Λ^{*} Q^2$ as well as the upper bound $ Q \le 1/(2\sqrt{Λ^{*}})$ for the charge, which reduces to $ Q \le 1/(2\sqrtΛ)$ in the stable case $λ\ge 0$. For $Λ^{*} < 0$ there remains only a lower bound on $A$. In the spherically symmetric, static, stable case one of the area inequalities is saturated iff the surface gravity vanishes. We also discuss implications of our inequalities for "jumps" and mergers of charged MOTS.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2012

(In)finite extent of stationary perfect fluids in Newtonian theory

For stationary, barotropic fluids in Newtonian gravity we give simple criteria on the equation of state and the "law of motion" which guarantee finite or infinite extent of the fluid region (providing a priori estimates for the corresponding stationary Newton-Euler system). Under more restrictive conditions, we can also exclude the presence of "hollow" configurations. Our main result, which does not assume axial symmetry, uses the virial theorem as the key ingredient and generalises a known result in the static case. In the axially symmetric case stronger results are obtained and examples are discussed.

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↗

arXiv2008

Static perfect fluids with Pant-Sah equations of state

We analyze the 3-parameter family of exact, regular, static, spherically symmetric perfect fluid solutions of Einstein's equations (corresponding to a 2-parameter family of equations of state) due to Pant and Sah and "rediscovered" by Rosquist and the present author. Except for the Buchdahl solutions which are contained as a limiting case, the fluids have finite radius and are physically realistic for suitable parameter ranges. The equations of state can be characterized geometrically by the property that the 3-metric on the static slices, rescaled conformally with the fourth power of any linear function of the norm of the static Killing vector, has constant scalar curvature. This local property does not require spherical symmetry; in fact it simplifies the the proof of spherical symmetry of asymptotically flat solutions which we recall here for the Pant-Sah equations of state. We also consider a model in Newtonian theory with analogous geometric and physical properties, together with a proof of spherical symmetry of the asymptotically flat solutions.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2007

Stability of marginally outer trapped surfaces and existence of marginally outer trapped tubes

The present work extends our short communication Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 111102 (2005). For smooth marginally outer trapped surfaces (MOTS) in a smooth spacetime we define stability with respect to variations along arbitrary vectors v normal to the MOTS. After giving some introductory material about linear non self-adjoint elliptic operators, we introduce the stability operator L_v and we characterize stable MOTS in terms of sign conditions on the principal eigenvalue of L_v. The main result shows that given a strictly stable MOTS S contained in one leaf of a given reference foliation in a spacetime, there is an open marginally outer trapped tube (MOTT), adapted to the reference foliation, which contains S. We give conditions under which the MOTT can be completed. Finally, we show that under standard energy conditions on the spacetime, the MOTT must be either locally achronal, spacelike or null.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2006

Generalized inverse mean curvature flows in spacetime

Motivated by the conjectured Penrose inequality and by the work of Hawking, Geroch, Huisken and Ilmanen in the null and the Riemannian case, we examine necessary conditions on flows of two-surfaces in spacetime under which the Hawking quasilocal mass is monotone. We focus on a subclass of such flows which we call uniformly expanding, which can be considered for null as well as for spacelike directions. In the null case, local existence of the flow is guaranteed. In the spacelike case, the uniformly expanding condition leaves a 1-parameter freedom, but for the whole family, the embedding functions satisfy a forward-backward parabolic system for which local existence does not hold in general. Nevertheless, we have obtained a generalization of the weak (distributional) formulation of this class of flows, generalizing the corresponding step of Huisken and Ilmanen's proof of the Riemannian Penrose inequality.

gr-qc↗

arXiv2005

Local existence of dynamical and trapping horizons

Given a spacelike foliation of a spacetime and a marginally outer trapped surface S on some initial leaf, we prove that under a suitable stability condition S is contained in a ``horizon'', i.e. a smooth 3-surface foliated by marginally outer trapped slices which lie in the leaves of the given foliation. We also show that under rather weak energy conditions this horizon must be either achronal or spacelike everywhere. Furthermore, we discuss the relation between ``bounding'' and ``stability'' properties of marginally outer trapped surfaces.

gr-qc↗