Singularity theorems based on trapped submanifolds of arbitrary co-dimension

Abstract

Standard singularity theorems are proven in Lorentzian manifolds of arbitrary dimension n if they contain closed trapped submanifolds of arbitrary co-dimension. By using the mean curvature vector to characterize trapped submanifolds, a unification of the several possibilities for the boundary conditions in the traditional theorems and their generalization to arbitrary co-dimension is achieved. The classical convergence conditions must be replaced by a condition on sectional curvatures, or tidal forces, which reduces to the former in the cases of co-dimension 1, 2 or n.