Global geometry of -symmetric spacetimes with weak regularity

Abstract: We define the class of weakly regular spacetimes with -symmetry, and investigate their global geometrical structure. We formulate the initial value problem for the Einstein vacuum equations with weak regularity, and establish the existence of a global foliation by the level sets of the area R of the orbits of symmetry, so that each leaf can be regarded as an initial hypersurface. Except for the flat Kasner spacetimes which are known explicitly, R takes all positive values. Our weak regularity assumptions only require that the gradient of R is continuous while the metric coefficients belong to the Sobolev space (or have even less regularity). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]