Singular Isotropic Cosmologies and Bel-Robinson Energy

Abstract

We consider the problem of the nature and possible types of spacetime singularities that can form during the evolution of \emph{FRW} universes in general relativity. We show that by using, in addition to the Hubble expansion rate and the scale factor, the Bel-Robinson energy of these universes we can consistently distinguish between the possible different types of singularities and arrive at a complete classification of the singularities that can occur in the isotropic case. We also use the Bel-Robinson energy to prove that known behaviours of exact flat isotropic universes with given singularities are generic in the sense that they hold true in every type of spatial geometry.