Skyrmions from gravitational instantons

We propose a construction of Skyrme fields from holonomy of the spin connection of gravitational instantons. The procedure is implemented for Atiyah-Hitchin and Taub-NUT instantons. The skyrmion resulting from the Taub-NUT is given explicitly on the space of orbits of a left translation inside the whole isometry group. The domain of the Taub-NUT skyrmion is a trivial circle bundle over the Poincare disc. The position of the skyrmion depends on the Taub-NUT mass parameter, and its topological charge is equal to two.Comment: Major changes: The Atiyah-Hitchin manifold and the corresponding skyrmion discussed in more detail, gauge fixing procedure clarified, earlier errors corrected. Final version, to appear in Proceedings of the Royal Society

Twistor Theory and Differential Equations

This is an elementary and self--contained review of twistor theory as a geometric tool for solving non-linear differential equations. Solutions to soliton equations like KdV, Tzitzeica, integrable chiral model, BPS monopole or Sine-Gordon arise from holomorphic vector bundles over T\CP^1. A different framework is provided for the dispersionless analogues of soliton equations, like dispersionless KP or $SU(\infty)$ Toda system in 2+1 dimensions. Their solutions correspond to deformations of (parts of) T\CP^1, and ultimately to Einstein--Weyl curved geometries generalising the flat Minkowski space. A number of exercises is included and the necessary facts about vector bundles over the Riemann sphere are summarised in the Appendix.Comment: 23 Pages, 9 Figure

Hyper-complex four-manifolds from the Tzitz\'eica equation

It is shown how solutions to the Tzitz\'eica equation can be used to construct a family of (pseudo) hyper-complex metrics in four dimensions.Comment: To be published in J.Math.Phy

Twistor theory of hyper-K{\"a}hler metrics with hidden symmetries

We briefly review the hierarchy for the hyper-K\"ahler equations and define a notion of symmetry for solutions of this hierarchy. A four-dimensional hyper-K\"ahler metric admits a hidden symmetry if it embeds into a hierarchy with a symmetry. It is shown that a hyper-K\"ahler metric admits a hidden symmetry if it admits a certain Killing spinor. We show that if the hidden symmetry is tri-holomorphic, then this is equivalent to requiring symmetry along a higher time and the hidden symmetry determines a `twistor group' action as introduced by Bielawski \cite{B00}. This leads to a construction for the solution to the hierarchy in terms of linear equations and variants of the generalised Legendre transform for the hyper-K\"ahler metric itself given by Ivanov & Rocek \cite{IR96}. We show that the ALE spaces are examples of hyper-K\"ahler metrics admitting three tri-holomorphic Killing spinors. These metrics are in this sense analogous to the 'finite gap' solutions in soliton theory. Finally we extend the concept of a hierarchy from that of \cite{DM00} for the four-dimensional hyper-K\"ahler equations to a generalisation of the conformal anti-self-duality equations and briefly discuss hidden symmetries for these equations.Comment: Final version. To appear in the August 2003 special issue of JMP on `Integrability, Topological Solitons, and Beyond

Twistor geometry of a pair of second order ODEs

We discuss the twistor correspondence between path geometries in three dimensions with vanishing Wilczynski invariants and anti-self-dual conformal structures of signature $(2, 2)$. We show how to reconstruct a system of ODEs with vanishing invariants for a given conformal structure, highlighting the Ricci-flat case in particular. Using this framework, we give a new derivation of the Wilczynski invariants for a system of ODEs whose solution space is endowed with a conformal structure. We explain how to reconstruct the conformal structure directly from the integral curves, and present new examples of systems of ODEs with point symmetry algebra of dimension four and greater which give rise to anti--self--dual structures with conformal symmetry algebra of the same dimension. Some of these examples are $(2, 2)$ analogues of plane wave space--times in General Relativity. Finally we discuss a variational principle for twistor curves arising from the Finsler structures with scalar flag curvature.Comment: Final version to appear in the Communications in Mathematical Physics. The procedure of recovering a system of torsion-fee ODEs from the heavenly equation has been clarified. The proof of Prop 7.1 has been expanded. Dedicated to Mike Eastwood on the occasion of his 60th birthda

Anti-self-dual conformal structures with null Killing vectors from projective structures

Using twistor methods, we explicitly construct all local forms of four--dimensional real analytic neutral signature anti--self--dual conformal structures $(M,[g])$ with a null conformal Killing vector. We show that $M$ is foliated by anti-self-dual null surfaces, and the two-dimensional leaf space inherits a natural projective structure. The twistor space of this projective structure is the quotient of the twistor space of $(M,[g])$ by the group action induced by the conformal Killing vector. We obtain a local classification which branches according to whether or not the conformal Killing vector is hyper-surface orthogonal in $(M, [g])$. We give examples of conformal classes which contain Ricci--flat metrics on compact complex surfaces and discuss other conformal classes with no Ricci--flat metrics.Comment: 43 pages, 4 figures. Theorem 2 has been improved: ASD metrics are given in terms of general projective structures without needing to choose special representatives of the projective connection. More examples (primary Kodaira surface, neutral Fefferman structure) have been included. Algebraic type of the Weyl tensor has been clarified. Final version, to appear in Commun Math Phy

Non-Relativistic Twistor Theory and Newton–Cartan Geometry

We develop a non-relativistic twistor theory, in which Newton--Cartan structures of Newtonian gravity correspond to complex three-manifolds with a four-parameter family of rational curves with normal bundle ${\mathcal O}\oplus{\mathcal O}(2)$. We show that the Newton--Cartan space-times are unstable under the general Kodaira deformation of the twistor complex structure. The Newton--Cartan connections can nevertheless be reconstructed from Merkulov's generalisation of the Kodaira map augmented by a choice of a holomorphic line bundle over the twistor space trivial on twistor lines. The Coriolis force may be incorporated by holomorphic vector bundles, which in general are non--trivial on twistor lines. The resulting geometries agree with non--relativistic limits of anti-self-dual gravitational instantons.We are grateful to Christian Duval, George Sparling and Paul Tod for helpful discussions. This work started when MD was visiting the Institute for Fundamental Sciences (IMP) in Tehran in April 2010. MD is grateful to IMP for the extended hospitality when volcanic eruption in Iceland halted air travel in Europe. The work of JG has been supported by an STFC studentship.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00220-015-2557-

On the quadratic invariant of binary sextics

We provide a geometric characterisation of binary sextics with vanishing quadratic invariant.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Cambridge University Press via http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S030500411600054

Non-diagonal four-dimensional cohomogeneity-one Einstein metrics in various signatures

Most known four-dimensional cohomogeneity-one Einstein metrics are diagonal in the basis defined by the left-invariant one-forms, though some essentially non-diagonal ones are known. We consider the problem of explicitly seeking non-diagonal Einstein metrics, and we find solutions which in some cases exhaust the possibilities. In particular we construct new examples of neutral signature non--diagonal Bianchi type VIII Einstein metrics with self--dual Weyl tensor