The Feynman propagator for massive Klein-Gordon fields on radiative asymptotically flat spacetimes

Abstract

On a large class of asymptotically flat spacetimes which includes radiative perturbations of Minkowski space, we define a distinguished global Feynman propagator for massive Klein-Gordon fields by means of the microlocal approach to non-elliptic Fredholm theory, working in the de,sc-pseudodifferential algebra due to Sussman. We extend the limiting absorption principle (the "$i\varepsilon$ prescription" for the Feynman propagator) to this setting. Motivated by the complicated Hamilton flow structure arising in this problem, we also prove a new localized radial point estimate in the spirit of Haber-Vasy which, under appropriate nondegeneracy assumptions, allows one to propagate microlocal regularity into a single radial point belonging to a larger radial set which can be a source, sink, or saddle for the Hamilton flow.