The Cauchy problem for metric-affine f(R)-gravity in presence of a Klein-Gordon scalar field

We study the initial value formulation of metric-affine f(R)-gravity in presence of a Klein-Gordon scalar field acting as source of the field equations. Sufficient conditions for the well-posedness of the Cauchy problem are formulated. This result completes the analysis of the same problem already considered for other sources.Comment: 6 page

Geometrical Hyperbolic Systems for General Relativity and Gauge Theories

The evolution equations of Einstein's theory and of Maxwell's theory---the latter used as a simple model to illustrate the former--- are written in gauge covariant first order symmetric hyperbolic form with only physically natural characteristic directions and speeds for the dynamical variables. Quantities representing gauge degrees of freedom [the spatial shift vector $\beta^{i}(t,x^{j})$ and the spatial scalar potential $\phi(t,x^{j})$, respectively] are not among the dynamical variables: the gauge and the physical quantities in the evolution equations are effectively decoupled. For example, the gauge quantities could be obtained as functions of $(t,x^{j})$ from subsidiary equations that are not part of the evolution equations. Propagation of certain (``radiative'') dynamical variables along the physical light cone is gauge invariant while the remaining dynamical variables are dragged along the axes orthogonal to the spacelike time slices by the propagating variables. We obtain these results by $(1)$ taking a further time derivative of the equation of motion of the canonical momentum, and $(2)$ adding a covariant spatial derivative of the momentum constraints of general relativity (Lagrange multiplier $\beta^{i}$) or of the Gauss's law constraint of electromagnetism (Lagrange multiplier $\phi$). General relativity also requires a harmonic time slicing condition or a specific generalization of it that brings in the Hamiltonian constraint when we pass to first order symmetric form. The dynamically propagating gravity fields straightforwardly determine the ``electric'' or ``tidal'' parts of the Riemann tensor.Comment: 24 pages, latex, no figure

Symmetries of distributional domain wall geometries

Generalizing the Lie derivative of smooth tensor fields to distribution-valued tensors, we examine the Killing symmetries and the collineations of the curvature tensors of some distributional domain wall geometries. The chosen geometries are rigorously the distributional thin wall limit of self gravitating scalar field configurations representing thick domain walls and the permanence and/or the rising of symmetries in the limit process is studied. We show that, for all the thin wall spacetimes considered, the symmetries of the distributional curvature tensors turns out to be the Killing symmetries of the pullback of the metric tensor to the surface where the singular part of these tensors is supported. Remarkably enough, for the non-reflection symmetric domain wall studied, these Killing symmetries are not necessarily symmetries of the ambient spacetime on both sides of the wall

Constraints and evolution in cosmology

We review some old and new results about strict and non strict hyperbolic formulations of the Einstein equations.Comment: To appear in the proceedings of the first Aegean summer school in General Relativity, S. Cotsakis ed. Springer Lecture Notes in Physic

Motion of Isolated bodies

It is shown that sufficiently smooth initial data for the Einstein-dust or the Einstein-Maxwell-dust equations with non-negative density of compact support develop into solutions representing isolated bodies in the sense that the matter field has spatially compact support and is embedded in an exterior vacuum solution

A rigidity theorem for nonvacuum initial data

In this note we prove a theorem on non-vacuum initial data for general relativity. The result presents a ``rigidity phenomenon'' for the extrinsic curvature, caused by the non-positive scalar curvature. More precisely, we state that in the case of asymptotically flat non-vacuum initial data if the metric has everywhere non-positive scalar curvature then the extrinsic curvature cannot be compactly supported.Comment: This is an extended and published version: LaTex, 10 pages, no figure

A variational analysis of Einstein-scalar field Lichnerowicz equations on compact Riemannian manifolds

We establish new existence and non-existence results for positive solutions of the Einstein-scalar field Lichnerowicz equation on compact manifolds. This equation arises from the Hamiltonian constraint equation for the Einstein-scalar field system in general relativity. Our analysis introduces variational techniques, in the form of the mountain pass lemma, to the analysis of the Hamiltonian constraint equation, which has been previously studied by other methods.Comment: 15 page

Future complete spacetimes with spacelike isometry group and field sources

We extend to the Einstein Maxwell Higgs system results first obtained previously in collaboration with V. Moncrief for Einstein equations in vacuum.Comment: to appear in proceedings of the greek relativity meeting 200

Geometrical Well Posed Systems for the Einstein Equations

We show that, given an arbitrary shift, the lapse $N$ can be chosen so that the extrinsic curvature $K$ of the space slices with metric $\overline g$ in arbitrary coordinates of a solution of Einstein's equations satisfies a quasi-linear wave equation. We give a geometric first order symmetric hyperbolic system verified in vacuum by $\overline g$, $K$ and $N$. We show that one can also obtain a quasi-linear wave equation for $K$ by requiring $N$ to satisfy at each time an elliptic equation which fixes the value of the mean extrinsic curvature of the space slices.Comment: 13 pages, latex, no figure