Killing vector fields on Riemannian and Lorentzian 3‐manifolds

Abstract

Abstract We give a complete local classification of all Riemannian 3‐manifolds admitting a nonvanishing Killing vector field T . We then extend this classification to timelike Killing vector fields on Lorentzian 3‐manifolds, which are automatically nonvanishing. The two key ingredients needed in our classification are the scalar curvature S of g and the function , where Ric is the Ricci tensor; in fact their sum appears as the Gaussian curvature of the quotient metric obtained from the action of T . Our classification generalizes that of Sasakian structures, which is the special case when . We also give necessary, and separately, sufficient conditions, both expressed in terms of , for g to be locally conformally flat. We then move from the local to the global setting, and prove two results: in the event that T has unit length and the coordinates derived in our classification are globally defined on , we give conditions under which S completely determines when the metric will be geodesically complete. In the event that the 3‐manifold M is compact, we give a condition stating when it admits a metric of constant positive sectional curvature.