Spinors, embeddings and gravity

This thesis is concerned with the theory of spinors, embeddings and everywhere invariance with applications to general relativity. The approach is entirely geometric with particular emphasis on the use of natural structures. A clear indication of the interaction between the above topics is given; this Interaction then sheds light on various aspects of general relativity theory.<br/><br/>The main ideas discussed are:- (i) Spinors, conformal structure and the spacetime projective null bundle framework. (ii) Spaces of embeddings. (ill) Embeddings and spin structure. (iv) Null embeddings and the null limit (a technique for obtaining differential equations on null hypersurfaces). (v) Quasi-local momentum. (vi) The space of metrics, natural group actions and generalized conformal structure. (vii) Everywhere invariance and the invariance equation as a method for obtaining spacetime symmetries. Three appendices are also provided:- These give comprehensive summaries of the theories of principal bundles, conformal structure and asymptotic simplicity.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

Ph.D.

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of Southampton

Year dc:date.issued

1988

Author dc:creator

• Swift, Simon

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• d'Inverno, R.
• Vickers, J.