Continuation criterion for solutions to the Einstein equations

Abstract

We prove a continuation condition in the context of 3 + 1 dimensional vacuum Einstein gravity in Constant Mean extrinsic Curvature (CMC) gauge. More precisely, we obtain quantitative criteria under which the physical spacetime can be extended in the future indefinitely as a solution to the Cauchy problem of the Einstein equations given regular initial data. In particular, we show that a gauge-invariant H2 Sobolev norm of the spacetime Riemann curvature remains bounded in the future time direction provided the so-called deformation tensor of the unit timelike vector field normal to the chosen CMC hypersurfaces verifies a spacetime L∞ bound. To this end, we implement a novel technique to obtain this refined estimate by using Friedlander’s parametrix for tensor wave equations on curved spacetime and Moncrief’s subsequent improvement. We conclude by providing a physical explanation of our result as well as its relation to the issues of determinism and weak cosmic censorship.