Linear stability of Schwarzschild spacetime subject to axial perturbations

Abstract

In this paper, we address the issue of linear stability of Schwarzschild space- time subject to certain axisymmetric perturbations. In particular, we prove that associ- ated solutions to the linearized vacuum Einstein equations centered at a Schwarzschild metric, with suitably regular initial data, decay to a linearized Kerr metric. Our method employs a complex line bundle interpretation applied to a connection-level object, allow- ing for direct analysis of this connection-level object by the linearized Einstein equations, in contrast with the recent breakthrough of Dafermos-Holzegel-Rodnianski.