Twistor constructions of quaternionic manifolds and asymptotically hyperbolic Einstein--Weyl spaces

Abstract

Let $S$ be a $2n$-dimensional complex manifold equipped with a line bundle with a real-analytic complex connection such that its curvature is of type $(1,1)$, and with a real analytic h-projective structure such that its h-projective curvature is of type $(1,1)$. For $n=1$ we assume that $S$ is equipped with a real-analytic M\"obius structure.Using the structure on $S$, we construct a twistor space of a quaternionic $4n$-manifold $M$. We show that $M$ can be identified locally with a neighbourhood of the zero section of the twisted (by a unitary line bundle) tangent bundle of $S$ and that $M$ admits a quaternionic $S^1$ action given by unit scalar multiplication in the fibres. We show that $S$ is a totally complex submanifold of $M$ and that a choice of a connection $D$ in the h-projective class on $S$ gives extensions of a complex structure from $S$ to $M$. For any such extension, using $D$, we construct a hyperplane distribution on $Z$ which corresponds to the unique quaternionic connection on $M$ preserving the extended complex structure. We show that, in a special case, the construction gives the Feix--Kaledin construction of hypercomplex manifolds, which includes the construction of hyperk\"ahler metrics on cotangent bundles. We also give an example in which the construction gives the quaternion-K\"ahler manifold $\mathbb{HP}^n$ which is not hyperk\"ahler.We show that the same construction and results can be obtained for $n=1$. By convention, in this case, $M$ is a self-dual conformal $4$-manifold and from Jones--Tod correspondence we know that the quotient $B$ of $M$ by an $S^1$ action is an asymptotically hyperbolic Einstein--Weyl manifold. Using a result of LeBrun \cite{Le}, we prove that $B$ is an asymptotically hyperbolic Einstein--Weyl manifold. We also give a natural construction of a minitwistor space $T$ of an asymptotically hyperbolic Einstein--Weyl manifold directly from $S$, such that $T$ is the Jones--Tod quotient of $Z$. As a consequence, we deduce that the Einstein--Weyl manifold constructed using $T$ is equipped with a distinguished Gauduchon gauge.

Date of Award	15 Feb 2014
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bath
Supervisor	David Calderbank (Supervisor)