Projective path to points at infinity in spherically symmetric spacetimes

Abstract

This paper proves that, in a four-dimensional spherically symmetric spacetime manifold, one can consider coordinate transformations expressed by fractional linear maps which give rise to isometries and are the simplest example of coordinate transformation used to bring infinity down to a finite distance. The projective boundary of spherically symmetric spacetimes here studied is the disjoint union of three points: future timelike infinity, past timelike infinity, spacelike infinity, and the three-dimensional products of half-lines with a 2-sphere. Geodesics are then studied in the projectively transformed (t',r',theta',phi') coordinates for Schwarzschild spacetime, with special interest in their way of approaching our points at infinity. Next, Nariai, de Sitter and Godel spacetimes are studied with our projective method. Since the kinds of infinity here defined depend only on the symmetry of interest in a spacetime manifold, they have a broad range of applications, which motivate the innovative analysis of Schwarzschild, Nariai, de Sitter and Godel spacetimes.

20 pages in double-column format. The presentation has been substantially improved, and a new appendix has been written. The last misprints have been removed

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