The Casimir operator of a metric connection with skew-symmetric torsion

For any triple $(M^n, g, \nabla)$ consisting of a Riemannian manifold and a metric connection with skew-symmetric torsion we introduce an elliptic, second order operator $\Omega$ acting on spinor fields. In case of a reductive space and its canonical connection our construction yields the Casimir operator of the isometry group. Several non-homogeneous geometries (Sasakian, nearly K\"ahler, cocalibrated $\mathrm{G}_2$-structures) admit unique connections with skew-symmetric torsion. We study the corresponding Casimir operator and compare its kernel with the space of $\nabla$-parallel spinors.Comment: Latex2e, 15 page

The extended Conformal Einstein field equations with matter: the Einstein-Maxwell field

A discussion is given of the conformal Einstein field equations coupled with matter whose energy-momentum tensor is trace-free. These resulting equations are expressed in terms of a generic Weyl connection. The article shows how in the presence of matter it is possible to construct a conformal gauge which allows to know \emph{a priori} the location of the conformal boundary. In vacuum this gauge reduces to the so-called conformal Gaussian gauge. These ideas are applied to obtain: (i) a new proof of the stability of Einstein-Maxwell de Sitter-like spacetimes; (ii) a proof of the semi-global stability of purely radiative Einstein-Maxwell spacetimes.Comment: 29 page

A conformal approach for the analysis of the non-linear stability of pure radiation cosmologies

The conformal Einstein equations for a tracefree (radiation) perfect fluid are derived in terms of the Levi-Civita connection of a conformally rescaled metric. These equations are used to provide a non-linear stability result for de Sitter-like tracefree (radiation) perfect fluid Friedman-Lema\^{\i}tre-Robertson-Walker cosmological models. The solutions thus obtained exist globally towards the future and are future geodesically complete.Comment: 21 page

Eigenvalue estimates for the Dirac operator depending on the Weyl curvature tensor

We prove new lower bounds for the first eigenvalue of the Dirac operator on compact manifolds whose Weyl tensor or curvature tensor, respectively, is divergence free. In the special case of Einstein manifolds, we obtain estimates depending on the Weyl tensor.Comment: Latex2.09, 9 page

Does asymptotic simplicity allow for radiation near spatial infinity?

A representation of spatial infinity based in the properties of conformal geodesics is used to obtain asymptotic expansions of the gravitational field near the region where null infinity touches spatial infinity. These expansions show that generic time symmetric initial data with an analytic conformal metric at spatial infinity will give rise to developments with a certain type of logarithmic singularities at the points where null infinity and spatial infinity meet. These logarithmic singularities produce a non-smooth null infinity. The sources of the logarithmic singularities are traced back down to the initial data. It is shown that is the parts of the initial data responsible for the non-regular behaviour of the solutions are not present, then the initial data is static to a certain order. On the basis of these results it is conjectured that the only time symmetric data sets with developments having a smooth null infinity are those which are static in a neighbourhood of infinity. This conjecture generalises a previous conjecture regarding time symmetric, conformally flat data. The relation of these conjectures to Penrose's proposal for the description of the asymptotic gravitational field of isolated bodies is discussed.Comment: 22 pages, 4 figures. Typos and grammatical mistakes corrected. Version to appear in Comm. Math. Phy

Curvature dependent lower bounds for the first eigenvalue of the Dirac operator

Using Weitzenb\"ock techniques on any compact Riemannian spin manifold we derive inequalities that involve a real parameter and join the eigenvalues of the Dirac operator with curvature terms. The discussion of these inequalities yields vanishing theorems for the kernel of the Dirac operator $D$ and lower bounds for the spectrum of $D^2$ if the curvature satisfies certain conditions.Comment: Latex2e, 14p

Spin(9)-structures and connections with totally skew-symmetric torsion

We study Spin(9)-structures on 16-dimensional Riemannian manifolds and characterize the geometric types admitting a connection with totally skew-symmetric torsion.Comment: Latex2e, 8 page

Upper bounds for the first eigenvalue of the Dirac operator on surfaces

In this paper we will prove new extrinsic upper bounds for the eigenvalues of the Dirac operator on an isometrically immersed surface $M^2 \hookrightarrow {\Bbb R}^3$ as well as intrinsic bounds for 2-dimensional compact manifolds of genus zero and genus one. Moreover, we compare the different estimates of the eigenvalue of the Dirac operator for special families of metrics.Comment: Latex2.09, 23 page

Almost Hermitian 6-Manifolds Revisited

A Theorem of Kirichenko states that the torsion 3-form of the characteristic connection of a nearly K\"ahler manifold is parallel. On the other side, any almost hermitian manifold of type $\mathrm{G}_1$ admits a unique connection with totally skew symmetric torsion. In dimension six, we generalize Kirichenko's Theorem and we describe almost hermitian $\mathrm{G}_1$-manifolds with parallel torsion form. In particular, among them there are only two types of $\mathcal{W}_3$-manifolds with a non-abelian holonomy group, namely twistor spaces of 4-dimensional self-dual Einstein manifolds and the invariant hermitian structure on the Lie group \mathrm{SL}(2, \C). Moreover, we classify all naturally reductive hermitian $\mathcal{W}_3$-manifolds with small isotropy group of the characteristic torsion.Comment: 26 pages, revised versio

The Einstein-Dirac Equation on Riemannian Spin Manifolds

We construct exact solutions of the Einstein-Dirac equation, which couples the gravitational field with an eigenspinor of the Dirac operator via the energy-momentum tensor. For this purpose we introduce a new field equation generalizing the notion of Killing spinors. The solutions of this spinorial field equation are called weak Killing spinors (WK-spinors). They are special solutions of the Einstein-Dirac equation and in dimension n=3 the two equations essentially coincide. It turns out that any Sasakian manifold with Ricci tensor related in some special way to the metric tensor as well as to the contact structure admits a WK-spinor. This result is a consequence of the investigation of special spinorial field equations on Sasakian manifolds (Sasakian quasi-Killing spinors). Altogether, in odd dimensions a contact geometry generates a solution of the Einstein-Dirac equation. Moreover, we prove the existence of solutions of the Einstein-Dirac equations that are not WK-spinors in all dimensions n > 8.Comment: Latex2.09, 47 page