Conformal Vector Fields and Ricci Soliton Structures on Natural Riemann Extensions

Abstract

The framework of the paper is the phase universe, described by the total space of the cotangent bundle of a manifold M, which is of interest for both mathematics and theoretical physics. When M carries a symmetric linear connection, then $$T^*M$$ is endowed with a semi-Riemannian metric, namely the classical Riemann extension, introduced by Patterson and Walker and then by Willmore. We consider here a generalization provided by Sekizawa and Kowalski of this metric, called the natural Riemann extension, which is also a metric of signature (n, n). We give the complete classification of conformal and Killing vector fields with respect to an arbitrary natural Riemann extension. Ricci soliton is a topic that has been increasingly studied lately. Necessary and sufficient conditions for the phase space to become a Ricci soliton (or Einstein) are given at the end.