Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2012 / iii / Paper 56 / 4

A Killing vector field $\xi$ generates a local one-parameter family of isometries of the metric tensor. Equivalently, its tensor Lie derivative of the metric vanishes:The latter is the Killing equation; the equivalence uses metric compatibility and the torsion-free connection.

Let $u$ be the tangent vector to a geodesic with affine parameter $\lambda$. Its geodesic equation is ${\nabla }_{u}u=0$. For a Killing vector field $\xi$, metric compatibility givesThusThis geodesic conserved quantity from a Killing vector is independent of whether the geodesic is timelike, spacelike or null. For a timelike geodesic one can use proper time; for a null geodesic choose an affine parameter. An arbitrary nonaffine tangent rescales the displayed quantity and need not make it constant.

The metric tensor of the planar warped spacetime depends only on $z$. The three translations therefore preserve it, givingThey are linearly independent Killing vector fields everywhere. The associated geodesic conserved quantities from Killing vectors are $-A^2\dot{t}$, $A^2\dot{x}$ and $A^2\dot{y}$, for an affine parameter; the conventional positive energy is $E=A^2\dot{t}$. No restriction on the positive function $A$ is needed for these three symmetries.

The displayed $e^a$ are one-forms, so they form an orthonormal coframe, dual to the orthonormal frame $E_0=A^{-1}{\partial }_t$, $E_1=A^{-1}{\partial }_x$, $E_2=A^{-1}{\partial }_y$, $E_3={\partial }_z$. Use ${\eta }_{ab}=\mathrm{diag}(-1,1,1,1)$ and abbreviateFor $i=0,1,2$, $d{e}^i=a{e}^3\wedge e^i$, while $d{e}^3=0$. The Levi-Civita connection is fixed by Cartan's first structure equation together with Lorentzian connection-form antisymmetry, ${\omega }_{ab}=-{\omega }_{ba}$, where ${\omega }_{ab}={\eta }_{ac}{\omega }^c{}_b$. Its nonzero connection 1-forms areIn particular, the time-index pair has the same sign with one index raised; incorrectly imposing ${\omega }^a{}_b=-{\omega }^b{}_a$ would lose the Lorentzian sign. All diagonal and all other entries vanish.

Apply Cartan's second structure equation. For $i=0,1,2$,For distinct $i,j$ in $\{0,1,2\}$, putting $s_0=-1$ and $s_1=s_2=1$ gives ${\Theta }^i{}_j={\omega }^i{}_3\wedge {\omega }^3{}_j=-s_j{a}^2{e}^i\wedge e^j$. Thus a complete independent set of curvature 2-forms isAll diagonal entries vanish. The remaining entries follow from ${\Theta }_{ab}=-{\Theta }_{ba}$: ${\Theta }^j{}_i=-s_i{s}_j{\Theta }^i{}_j$ for $i,j\le 2$, and ${\Theta }^3{}_i=-s_i{\Theta }^i{}_3$. These relations and the displayed six entries specify all sixteen curvature 2-forms. This computation is Cartan curvature of a planar warped spacetime.

Extract the Riemann curvature tensor from ${\Theta }^a{}_b=\frac{1}{2}{R}^a{}_{bcd}{e}^c\wedge e^d$ using the curvature 2-forms just computed. Contraction $R_{bd}=R^a{}_{bad}$ gives the diagonal Ricci tensor in the orthonormal coframe:For example, the $00$ component receives $a^2$ from each of the $1$ and $2$ directions and $q$ from direction $3$. The signs in the spatial components reflect the same Lorentzian index lowering used for the connection 1-forms.

For a null vector $k$ in this frame, $(k^0{)}^2=(k^1{)}^2+(k^2{)}^2+(k^3{)}^2$. ThereforeThe Einstein field equations imply $8\pi T_{ab}{k}^a{k}^b=R_{ab}{k}^a{k}^b$, since the metric term vanishes for a null vector; an included cosmological-constant term would also vanish. Choose $k^a=(1,0,0,1)$ and apply the null energy condition. It follows thatConversely, this inequality makes the same contraction nonnegative for every null vector, so it is exactly the null energy condition for a planar warped spacetime when its matter stress-energy tensor is defined by the Einstein field equations. Null vectors tangent to the planar slices saturate the condition. As checks, constant $A$ gives flat spacetime and $A=e^{bz}$ gives constant negative sectional curvature with $a^{\prime }=0$, also saturating it.