Vacuum Einstein field equations in smooth metric measure spaces: the isotropic case

Abstract

On a smooth metric measure spacetime $(M,g,e^{-f} dvol_g)$, we define a weighted Einstein tensor. It is given in terms of the Bakry-\'Emery Ricci tensor as a tensor which is symmetric, divergence-free, concomitant of the metric and the density function. We consider the associated vacuum weighted Einstein field equations and show that isotropic solutions have nilpotent Ricci operator. Moreover, the underlying manifold is a Brinkmann wave if it is $2$-step nilpotent and a Kundt spacetime if it is $3$-step nilpotent. More specific results are obtained in dimension $3$, where all isotropic solutions are given in local coordinates as plane waves or Kundt spacetimes.