On the metrizability of m -Kropina spaces with closed null one-form

authored by
Sjors Heefer, Christian Pfeifer, Jorn Van Voorthuizen, Andrea Fuster
Abstract

We investigate the local metrizability of Finsler spaces with m-Kropina metric F = α1+mβ-m, where β is a closed null one-form. We show that such a space is of Berwald type if and only if the (pseudo-)Riemannian metric α and one-form β have a very specific form in certain coordinates. In particular, when the signature of α is Lorentzian, α belongs to a certain subclass of the Kundt class and β generates the corresponding null congruence, and this generalizes in a natural way to arbitrary signature. We use this result to prove that the affine connection on such an m-Kropina space is locally metrizable by a (pseudo-)Riemannian metric if and only if the Ricci tensor constructed from the affine connection is symmetric. In particular, we construct all counterexamples of this type to Szabo's metrization theorem, which has only been proven for positive definite Finsler metrics that are regular on all of the slit tangent bundle.

Organisation(s)
QuantumFrontiers
External Organisation(s)
Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e)
University of Bremen
Type
Article
Journal
Journal of mathematical physics
Volume
64
ISSN
0022-2488
Publication date
01.02.2023
Publication status
Published
Peer reviewed
Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Statistical and Nonlinear Physics, Mathematical Physics
Electronic version(s)
https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0130523 (Access: Open)