2
$\begingroup$

A vector field X on a Riemaniann manifold is harmonic if and only if 1-form metrically equivalent to X is harmonic.

Question: On any closed 3-dimensional Riemannian manifold, is every unit harmonic vector field a Killing vector field for some Riemannian metric?

$\endgroup$

1 Answer 1

2
$\begingroup$

The answer is 'no'. Here is a counterexample:

Let $S$ be a compact oriented surface endowed with a nonvanishing $2$-form $\Omega$. Let $f:S\to S$ be a diffeomorphism preserving $\Omega$ with a hyperbolic fixed point $s\in S$. Let $\mathbb{Z}$ act freely on $\mathbb{R}\times S$ by the rule $$ n\cdot(t,p) = \bigl(t+n, f^n(p)\bigr) $$ for all $n\in\mathbb{Z}$. Since $\pi_1^*\mathrm{d}t$ and $\pi_2^*\Omega$ are invariant under this action (where $\pi_1:\mathbb{R}\times S\to\mathbb{R}$ and $\pi_2:\mathbb{R}\times S\to S$ are the projections), they are well-defined on the quotient $M = (\mathbb{R}\times S)/\mathbb{Z}$. (I will drop the projection pullback notation henceforth.)

Using a partition of unity on the circle $S^1 = \mathbb{R}/\mathbb{Z}$, we can construct a smooth Riemannian metric $g$ on $M$ such that $g = \mathrm{d}t^2 + h(t)$, where $h(t)=h(t+1)$ is, for each $t\in\mathbb{R}$, a positive definite Riemannian metric on $S$ whose oriented area form is $\Omega$. Let $X$ be the vector field on $M$ that is null for $h(t)$ and satisfies $\mathrm{d}t(X)=1$. Then, with respect to $g$, $\mathrm{d}t$ is the $1$-form dual of $X$ and $\ast\mathrm{d} t = \Omega$. Since both $\mathrm{d}t$ and $\Omega$ are closed on $M$, it follows that $X$ is a unit harmonic vector field on $M$.

However, because the closed $\mathbb{Z}$-periodic $X$-orbit $\gamma(t) = [t,s]$ is hyperbolic, there cannot be any Riemannian metric on $M$ that is invariant under the flow of $X$. I.e., $X$ is not a Killing field for any Riemannian metric on $M$.

$\endgroup$

You must log in to answer this question.

Start asking to get answers

Find the answer to your question by asking.

Ask question

Explore related questions

See similar questions with these tags.