Regularity results for the spherically symmetric Einstein-Vlasov system

The spherically symmetric Einstein-Vlasov system is considered in Schwarzschild coordinates and in maximal-isotropic coordinates. An open problem is the issue of global existence for initial data without size restrictions. The main purpose of the present work is to propose a method of approach for general initial data, which improves the regularity of the terms that need to be estimated compared to previous methods. We prove that global existence holds outside the centre in both these coordinate systems. In the Schwarzschild case we improve the bound on the momentum support obtained in \cite{RRS} for compact initial data. The improvement implies that we can admit non-compact data with both ingoing and outgoing matter. This extends one of the results in \cite{AR1}. In particular our method avoids the difficult task of treating the pointwise matter terms. Furthermore, we show that singularities never form in Schwarzschild time for ingoing matter as long as $3m\leq r.$ This removes an additional assumption made in \cite{A1}. Our result in maximal-isotropic coordinates is analogous to the result in \cite{R1}, but our method is different and it improves the regularity of the terms that need to be estimated for proving global existence in general.Comment: 25 pages. To appear in Ann. Henri Poincar\'

On static shells and the Buchdahl inequality for the spherically symmetric Einstein-Vlasov system

In a previous work \cite{An1} matter models such that the energy density $\rho\geq 0,$ and the radial- and tangential pressures $p\geq 0$ and $q,$ satisfy $p+q\leq\Omega\rho, \Omega\geq 1,$ were considered in the context of Buchdahl's inequality. It was proved that static shell solutions of the spherically symmetric Einstein equations obey a Buchdahl type inequality whenever the support of the shell, $[R_0,R_1], R_0>0,$ satisfies $R_1/R_0<1/4.$ Moreover, given a sequence of solutions such that $R_1/R_0\to 1,$ then the limit supremum of $2M/R_1$ was shown to be bounded by $((2\Omega+1)^2-1)/(2\Omega+1)^2.$ In this paper we show that the hypothesis that $R_1/R_0\to 1,$ can be realized for Vlasov matter, by constructing a sequence of static shells of the spherically symmetric Einstein-Vlasov system with this property. We also prove that for this sequence not only the limit supremum of $2M/R_1$ is bounded, but that the limit is $((2\Omega+1)^2-1)/(2\Omega+1)^2=8/9,$ since $\Omega=1$ for Vlasov matter. Thus, static shells of Vlasov matter can have $2M/R_1$ arbitrary close to $8/9,$ which is interesting in view of \cite{AR2}, where numerical evidence is presented that 8/9 is an upper bound of $2M/R_1$ of any static solution of the spherically symmetric Einstein-Vlasov system.Comment: 20 pages, Late

A scattering theory construction of dynamical vacuum black holes

We construct a large class of dynamical vacuum black hole spacetimes whose exterior geometry asymptotically settles down to a fixed Schwarzschild or Kerr metric. The construction proceeds by solving a backwards scattering problem for the Einstein vacuum equations with characteristic data prescribed on the event horizon and (in the limit) at null infinity. The class admits the full “functional” degrees of freedom for the vacuum equations, and thus our solutions will in general possess no geometric or algebraic symmetries. It is essential, however, for the construction that the scattering data (and the resulting solution spacetime) converge to stationarity exponentially fast, in advanced and retarded time, their rate of decay intimately related to the surface gravity of the event horizon. This can be traced back to the celebrated redshift effect, which in the context of backwards evolution is seen as a blueshift

Self-gravitating Klein-Gordon fields in asymptotically Anti-de-Sitter spacetimes

We initiate the study of the spherically symmetric Einstein-Klein-Gordon system in the presence of a negative cosmological constant, a model appearing frequently in the context of high-energy physics. Due to the lack of global hyperbolicity of the solutions, the natural formulation of dynamics is that of an initial boundary value problem, with boundary conditions imposed at null infinity. We prove a local well-posedness statement for this system, with the time of existence of the solutions depending only on an invariant H^2-type norm measuring the size of the Klein-Gordon field on the initial data. The proof requires the introduction of a renormalized system of equations and relies crucially on r-weighted estimates for the wave equation on asymptotically AdS spacetimes. The results provide the basis for our companion paper establishing the global asymptotic stability of Schwarzschild-Anti-de-Sitter within this system.Comment: 50 pages, v2: minor changes, to appear in Annales Henri Poincar\'

Stability and Instability of Extreme Reissner-Nordstr\"om Black Hole Spacetimes for Linear Scalar Perturbations I

We study the problem of stability and instability of extreme Reissner-Nordstrom spacetimes for linear scalar perturbations. Specifically, we consider solutions to the linear wave equation on a suitable globally hyperbolic subset of such a spacetime, arising from regular initial data prescribed on a Cauchy hypersurface crossing the future event horizon. We obtain boundedness, decay and non-decay results. Our estimates hold up to and including the horizon. The fundamental new aspect of this problem is the degeneracy of the redshift on the event horizon. Several new analytical features of degenerate horizons are also presented.Comment: 37 pages, 11 figures; published version of results contained in the first part of arXiv:1006.0283, various new results adde

On the Mathematical and Geometrical Structure of the Determining Equations for Shear Waves in Nonlinear Isotropic Incompressible Elastodynamics

Using the theory of $1+1$ hyperbolic systems we put in perspective the mathematical and geometrical structure of the celebrated circularly polarized waves solutions for isotropic hyperelastic materials determined by Carroll in Acta Mechanica 3 (1967) 167--181. We show that a natural generalization of this class of solutions yields an infinite family of \emph{linear} solutions for the equations of isotropic elastodynamics. Moreover, we determine a huge class of hyperbolic partial differential equations having the same property of the shear wave system. Restricting the attention to the usual first order asymptotic approximation of the equations determining transverse waves we provide the complete integration of this system using generalized symmetries.Comment: 19 page

L^2 stability estimates for shock solutions of scalar conservation laws using the relative entropy method

We consider scalar nonviscous conservation laws with strictly convex flux in one spatial dimension, and we investigate the behavior of bounded L^2 perturbations of shock wave solutions to the Riemann problem using the relative entropy method. We show that up to a time-dependent translation of the shock, the L^2 norm of a perturbed solution relative to the shock wave is bounded above by the L^2 norm of the initial perturbation.Comment: 17 page

The formation of black holes in spherically symmetric gravitational collapse

We consider the spherically symmetric, asymptotically flat Einstein-Vlasov system. We find explicit conditions on the initial data, with ADM mass M, such that the resulting spacetime has the following properties: there is a family of radially outgoing null geodesics where the area radius r along each geodesic is bounded by 2M, the timelike lines $r=c\in [0,2M]$ are incomplete, and for r>2M the metric converges asymptotically to the Schwarzschild metric with mass M. The initial data that we construct guarantee the formation of a black hole in the evolution. We also give examples of such initial data with the additional property that the solutions exist for all $r\geq 0$ and all Schwarzschild time, i.e., we obtain global existence in Schwarzschild coordinates in situations where the initial data are not small. Some of our results are also established for the Einstein equations coupled to a general matter model characterized by conditions on the matter quantities.Comment: 36 pages. A corollary on global existence in Schwarzschild coordinates for data which are not small is added together with minor modification

Boost invariant marginally trapped surfaces in Minkowski 4-space

The extremal and partly marginally trapped surfaces in Minkowski 4-space, which are invariant under the group of boost isometries, are classified. Moreover, it is shown that there do not exist extremal surfaces of this kind with constant Gaussian curvature. A procedure is given in order to construct a partly marginally trapped surface by gluing two marginally trapped surfaces which are invariant under the group of boost isometries. As an application, a proper star-surface is constructed.Comment: 13 pages, comment added in section

Improving the Price of Anarchy for Selfish Routing via Coordination Mechanisms

We reconsider the well-studied Selfish Routing game with affine latency functions. The Price of Anarchy for this class of games takes maximum value 4/3; this maximum is attained already for a simple network of two parallel links, known as Pigou's network. We improve upon the value 4/3 by means of Coordination Mechanisms. We increase the latency functions of the edges in the network, i.e., if $\ell_e(x)$ is the latency function of an edge $e$, we replace it by $\hat{\ell}_e(x)$ with $\ell_e(x) \le \hat{\ell}_e(x)$ for all $x$. Then an adversary fixes a demand rate as input. The engineered Price of Anarchy of the mechanism is defined as the worst-case ratio of the Nash social cost in the modified network over the optimal social cost in the original network. Formally, if \CM(r) denotes the cost of the worst Nash flow in the modified network for rate $r$ and \Copt(r) denotes the cost of the optimal flow in the original network for the same rate then [\ePoA = \max_{r \ge 0} \frac{\CM(r)}{\Copt(r)}.] We first exhibit a simple coordination mechanism that achieves for any network of parallel links an engineered Price of Anarchy strictly less than 4/3. For the case of two parallel links our basic mechanism gives 5/4 = 1.25. Then, for the case of two parallel links, we describe an optimal mechanism; its engineered Price of Anarchy lies between 1.191 and 1.192.Comment: 17 pages, 2 figures, preliminary version appeared at ESA 201