The Finsler spacetime condition for (\alpha,\beta)-metrics and their isometries

Abstract

For the general class of pseudo-Finsler spaces with $(\alpha,\beta)$-metrics, we establish necessary and sufficient conditions such that these admit a Finsler spacetime structure. This means that the fundamental tensor has Lorentzian signature on a conic subbundle of the tangent bundle and thus the existence of a cone of future pointing timelike vectors is ensured. The identified $(\alpha,\beta)$-Finsler spacetimes are candidates for applications in gravitational physics. Moreover, we completely determine the relation between the isometries of an $(\alpha,\beta)$-metric and the isometries of the underlying pseudo-Riemannian metric $a$; in particular, we list all $(\alpha,\beta)$-metrics which admit isometries that are not isometries of $a$.