Ricci Vector Fields Revisited

Abstract

We continue studying the σ-Ricci vector field u on a Riemannian manifold (Nm,g), which is not necessarily closed. A Riemannian manifold with Ricci operator T, a Coddazi-type tensor, is called a T-manifold. In the first result of this paper, we show that a complete and simply connected T-manifold(Nm,g), m>1, of positive scalar curvature τ, admits a closed σ-Ricci vector field u such that the vector u−∇σ is an eigenvector of T with eigenvalue τm−1, if and only if it is isometric to the m-sphere Sαm. In the second result, we show that if a compact and connected T-manifold(Nm,g), m>2, admits a σ-Ricci vector field u with σ≠0 and is an eigenvector of a rough Laplace operator with the integral of the Ricci curvature Ricu,u that has a suitable lower bound, then (Nm,g) is isometric to the m-sphere Sαm, and the converse also holds. Finally, we show that a compact and connected Riemannian manifold (Nm,g) admits a σ-Ricci vector field u with σ as a nontrivial solution of the static perfect fluid equation, and the integral of the Ricci curvature Ricu,u has a lower bound depending on a positive constant α, if and only if (Nm,g) is isometric to the m-sphere Sαm.