Causality theory of spacetimes with continuous Lorentzian metrics revisited
Abstract
We consider the usual causal structure on a spacetime, and a number of alternatives based on Minguzzi's and Sorkin and Woolgar's , in the case where the spacetime metric is continuous, but not necessarily smooth. We compare the different causal structures based on three key properties, namely the validity of the push-up lemma, the openness of chronological futures, and the existence of limit causal curves. Recall that if the spacetime metric is smooth, satisfies all three properties, but that in the continuous case, the push-up lemma fails. Among the proposed alternative causal structures, there is one that satisfies push-up and open futures, and one that has open futures and limit curves. Furthermore, we show that spacetimes with continuous metrics do not, in general, admit a causal structure satisfying all three properties at once.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.2101.12716,
title = {Causality theory of spacetimes with continuous Lorentzian metrics revisited},
author = {Leonardo García-Heveling},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2101.12716},
year = {2021}
}
Comments
Significant changes in v2: notation changed, references added, numbering of theorems shifted. 12 pages, 2 figures, 1 table