Pseudo-Riemannian foliations and their graphs

Abstract

We prove that a foliation $(M, F)$ of codimension $q$ on a $n$-dimen\-sio\-nal pseudo-Riemannian manifold is pseudo-Riemannian if and only if any geodesic that is orthogonal at one point to a leaf is orthogonal to every leaf it intersects. We show that on the graph $G = G(F)$ of a pseudo-Riemannian foliation there exists a unique pseudo-Riemannian metric such that canonical projections are pse\-u\-do-Rieman\-ni\-an submersions and the fibres of different projections are orthogonal at common points. Relatively this metric the induced foliation $(G,\mathbb{F})$ on the graph is pseudo-Riemannian and the structure of the leaves of $(G,\mathbb{F})$ is described. Special attention is given to the structure of graphs of transversally (geodesically) complete pseudo-Riemannian foliations and totally geodesic pseudo-Riemannian ones.