4 research outputs found
Weak distinction and the optimal definition of causal continuity
Causal continuity is usually defined by imposing the conditions (i)
distinction and (ii) reflectivity. It is proved here that a new causality
property which stays between weak distinction and causality, called feeble
distinction, can actually replace distinction in the definition of causal
continuity. An intermediate proof shows that feeble distinction and future
(past) reflectivity implies past (resp. future) distinction. Some new
characterizations of weak distinction and reflectivity are given.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures. v2: improved and expanded version. v3: a few
misprints have been corrected and a reference has been update
The causal ladder and the strength of K-causality. I
A unifying framework for the study of causal relations is presented. The
causal relations are regarded as subsets of M x M and the role of the
corresponding antisymmetry conditions in the construction of the causal ladder
is stressed. The causal hierarchy of spacetime is built from chronology up to
K-causality and new characterizations of the distinction and strong causality
properties are obtained. The closure of the causal future is not transitive, as
a consequence its repeated composition leads to an infinite causal subladder
between strong causality and K-causality - the A-causality subladder. A
spacetime example is given which proves that K-causality differs from infinite
A-causality.Comment: 16 pages, one figure. Old title: ``On the relationship between
K-causality and infinite A-causality''. Some typos fixed; small change in the
proof of lemma 4.
On the causal properties of warped product spacetimes
It is shown that the warped product spacetime P=M *_f H, where H is a
complete Riemannian manifold, and the original spacetime M share necessarily
the same causality properties, the only exceptions being the properties of
causal continuity and causal simplicity which present some subtleties. For
instance, it is shown that if diamH=+\infty, the direct product spacetime P=M*H
is causally simple if and only if (M,g) is causally simple, the Lorentzian
distance on M is continuous and any two causally related events at finite
distance are connected by a maximizing geodesic. Similar conditions are found
for the causal continuity property. Some new results concerning the behavior of
the Lorentzian distance on distinguishing, causally continuous, and causally
simple spacetimes are obtained. Finally, a formula which gives the Lorentzian
distance on the direct product in terms of the distances on the two factors
(M,g) and (H,h) is obtained.Comment: 22 pages, 2 figures, uses the package psfra