X-ray transform ($Ih(\gamma )={\int }_{\gamma }h$)

The X-ray transform records integrals of a function or tensor evaluation over a specified family of curves. The curve family, parametrization and any weights are part of the definition. Straight lines, geodesics and magnetic flows give different versions; their injectivity and unavoidable potential kernels depend on that geometry.

The transform integrates a base function and a velocity-evaluated one-form along the closed trajectories of a surface thermostat. Every exact differential form of degree one integrates to zero, because $F(f\circ \pi )=df(v)$. The relevant kernel theorem concerns these functions of velocity degree zero and one, rather than arbitrary functions on the unit tangent bundle.

For a smooth Anosov flow generated by a surface thermostat on a closed oriented Riemannian surface, a smooth base function plus a smooth one-form is a smooth flow coboundary precisely when the base function is zero and the one-form is an exact differential form. This is the nontrivial degree-zero/one kernel theorem. It does not require negative curvature or preservation of Liouville volume. The converse follows directly from $F(f\circ \pi )=df(v)$. A primary proof of the kernel theorem is arxiv.org/abs/math/0601039.

The magnetic transform integrates functions or velocity-evaluated one-forms along magnetic trajectories, rather than ordinary geodesics. For closed trajectories, every exact one-form integrates to zero. Hyperbolic dynamics can make these the entire degree-one kernel.

For a smooth Anosov magnetic flow on a closed oriented surface, a smooth function plus a smooth one-form can be a smooth flow coboundary only when the function is zero and the one-form is exact. Equivalently their sum has zero integral along every closed orbit precisely in that case, using the smooth Livsic theorem. This is the nontrivial magnetic transform kernel theorem. Exact one-forms give the converse directly, since $F(w\circ \pi )=dw(v)$. The theorem does not require pointwise negative Gaussian curvature.

For a symmetric covariant two-tensor, the geodesic transform integrates its evaluation on the unit velocity along boundary-to-boundary or closed geodesics, as appropriate to the manifold. A potential symmetric 2-tensor gives a total derivative along each geodesic and therefore integrates to zero on closed geodesics; boundary data require the corresponding boundary potential to vanish.

The displayed one-form on the unit round sphere has zero integral on every closed geodesic. Indeed, the antipodal map pulls it back to its negative, and the second half of an oriented great circle is the antipodal image of the first. Nevertheless $d\theta =2x_{3}d{x}_3\wedge d{x}_1$ is nonzero on an open set, so the one-form is not a closed differential form and cannot be an exact differential form. Thus a curvature-free extension of one-form injectivity fails.

On a closed oriented Riemannian surface this integral identity follows from the canonical commutators and integration by parts against Liouville volume of a surface geodesic flow. If $VX\phi =-2H\phi$ and $K<0$, substitution gives $\Vert X\phi {\Vert }^2+5\Vert H\phi {\Vert }^2+\int (-K)(V\phi {)}^2=0$. Each term is nonnegative, forcing all three derivatives to vanish. For $\phi =V^{2}u+u$, the fibre equation then makes $u$ a constant plus a fibrewise linear function, supplying the potential symmetric 2-tensor kernel.

For a vector field $Z$, define $\beta (v,w)=⟨{\nabla }_{v}Z,w⟩+⟨{\nabla }_{w}Z,v⟩$. Its diagonal evaluation is $2⟨{\nabla }_{v}Z,v⟩$. Along a geodesic this equals $2d⟨Z,\dot{\gamma }⟩/dt$, so it is invisible to closed-geodesic integrals. If a fibrewise linear function $u(x,v)={\eta }_x(v)$ solves $Xu=\beta (v,v)$, then $Z={\eta }^{♯}/2$ gives this convention.