Research Article Slant Curves in the Unit Tangent Bundles of Surfaces
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Hindawi Publishing Corporation ISRN Geometry Volume 2013, Article ID 821429, 5 pages http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/821429 Research Article Slant Curves in the Unit Tangent Bundles of Surfaces Zhong Hua Hou and Lei Sun Institute of Mathematics, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning 116024, China Correspondence should be addressed to Lei Sun; [email protected] Received 26 September 2013; Accepted 25 October 2013 Academic Editors: T. Friedrich and M. Pontecorvo Copyright © 2013 Z. H. Hou and L. Sun. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Let (, ) be a surface and let ((), ) be the unit tangent bundle of endowed with the Sasaki metric. We know that any curve Γ() in () consistofacurve() in and as unit vector field () along (). In this paper we study the geometric properties () and () satisfying when Γ() is a slant geodesic. 1. Introduction Theorem 1. Let Γ() = ((), ()) be a Legendrian geodesic parameterized by arc length in () with domain ∈[,]. (,,,,) Let be a 3-dimensional contact metric mani- If the set consisting of points ∈[,]such that () = 1 fold.Theslantcurvesin are generalization of Legendrian is discrete, then () is a geodesic of velocity 2 and () is the curves which form a constant angle with the Reeb vector field normal direction of in . .Choetal.[1] studied Lancret type problem for curves in Sasakian 3-manifold. They showed that a curve () ⊂ Theorem 2. Let Γ() = ((), ()) be a slant geodesic param- is slant if and only if ( ± 1)/ is constant where and eterized by arc length in () which is not Legendrian. () are torsion and curvature of ,respectively,andtheyalso Under the assumptions of () as in Theorem 1,wehavethe gave some examples of slant curves. One can find some other following. papers about slant curves in almost contact metric manifolds. () =±()̸ () For examples, Calin˘ et al. [2] studied the slant curves in - (1) If ,then is a geodesic of velocity 2 and () Kenmotsu manifolds. In [3], Calin˘ and Crasmareanu studied is a parallel vector field along . slant curves in normal almost contact manifolds. (2) If () = ±(),then() is a curve of velocity 2| cos | (, ) Let be a Riemannian manifold. Sasaki [4, 5]stud- with constant curvature =±tan . ied the geometries of endowed with the Sasaki metric and introduced the almost complex structure in which 2. Preliminaries is compatible with .Tashiro[6] constructed an almost (,,,) contact metric structure in the unit tangent Firstly, we introduce the (almost) contact metric structure on () bundle of which is induced from the almost com- a Riemannian manifold of odd dimension. With the same (, ,) ∞ plex structure in .KlingenbergandSasaki[7] notations as in [9]; let be a real (2 + -dimensional1) C 2 ∞ studied geodesics in the unit tangent bundle of -sphere manifold and X() the Lie algebra of C vector fields on 2 (2) ∞ endowed with Sasaki metric and showed that is .Analmost cocomplex structure on is defined by a C 3(1/4) ∞ ∞ isometric to .Sasaki[8] studied the geodesics on the (1,1)-tensor ,aC vector field and a C 1-form on unit tangent bundles over space forms. such that for any point ∈we have In this paper, we study the slant geodesics in the unit () () 2 tangent bundle of some surface .Foranycurve =−+ ⨂ , ()=1, (1) in ,let() = |()|() be the tangent vector field of () and let () be the sectional curvature of at (),wehave where denotes the identity transformation of the tan- the following theorems. gent space at . Manifolds equipped with an almost 2 ISRN Geometry ∗ cocomplex structure are called almost contact manifolds.A from () to and this map induces a metric = Riemannian manifold with a metric andanalmostcontact in () as follows: (, , ) structure is called almost contact metric or almost co- ℎ ℎ Hermitian manifold if and (, , ) satisfies ( , )=(, ) , (ℎ,)=0, (, ) =(, ) −() () , (2) (7) (,)=(, ) −(, ) (, ) , for any vector fields , ∈ X(). As in Kahler geometry, we can define the fundamental 2- , ∈ X() Φ (,,,,) for any vector fields . form on the almost contact metric manifold From Tashiro [6], we know that there is an almost contact as metric structure ( , , , ) in () which is induced from the almost complex structure in such that Φ (, ) =(, ) , (3) V V ∘∗ =∗ ∘ + ⨂ ,∘∗ ( )=. (8) for any vector fields , ∈ X().Obviously,thisform satisfies ∧Φ =0̸ which means every almost contact metric This implies that manifold is orientable and that (, Φ) defines an almost ()=1, ()=0, ∘ =0. cosymplectic structure on .Ifthefundamental2-formΦ= (9) ,thenwecall(,,,,)acontactmetricmanifold. From Blair et al. [10], at any point (, ) ∈ () we have Let ( ,) be the locally coordinate systems on the tangent bundle of .Sasaki[4, 5] defined a metric on =ℎ, which is the natural lifts of the metric on as follows: () = (, ℎ), ℎ ℎ ( , )=(, ) , (10) Φ (, ) = (, ) = 2 (, ) , ℎ V ( , )=0, (4) ℎ =, =−ℎ + (ℎ), V V ( , )=(, ) , where ∈X() and , ∈X(()).Hence,weknow ℎ V (,,,) () where , ∈ X() and = − Γ and = that there is a contact metric structure in (, ) such that are the horizontal and vertical lifts of at with respect to Levi-Civita connection ∇ of ,respectively, 1 1 = ,=2,=,= . (11) and {Γ } are the Christoffel symbols of ∇. The Levi-Civita 2 4 ∇ connection of is defined as By (5), we know that the Levi-Civita connection of ((), ) is determined by the following: ℎ ℎ 1 V ℎ 1 ℎ ∇ℎ =(∇) − ( ) , ∇V = ( ) , ⊤ 1 2 2 ℎ =(∇ ℎ) =(∇ )ℎ − ( ), ℎ ℎ 2 V V 1 ℎ V ∇ ℎ =(∇ ) + ( ) , ∇ V =0, 2 ℎ ℎ ⊤ 1 ℎ =(∇ ) = () , (5) 2 (12) ⊤ 1 ℎ ℎ =(∇ ℎ ) =(∇ ) + ( ) , where , ∈ X() and is the curvature tensor on 2 (, ).Thealmostcomplexstructure on which is ⊤ compatible with is given by =(∇ ) =−(, ) , ℎ V V ℎ for any (, ) ∈ () and , ∈ X(()). =,=− , (6) () for any vector field ∈X(). 3. Geodesic Slant Curves in We know that the normal vector field of the unit tangent Let (, ) be a surface and let :[,]→be a curve in bundle () = {(, ) ∈ ; (,)=1} of at (, ) ∈ V ℎ .LetΓ() = ((), ()) be a curve in ((), , ,, ,) () in (, ) is .LetX(()) ={ +;,∈ ∞ where the contact metric structure is given by (11). X()} be the Lie algebra of C vector fields on () ℎ V where = − Γ and = ( − (, )) are Definition 3. We say that Γ() is a slant curve in () if the the horizontal and tangential lifts of at (, ) ∈ (), angle between the tangent vector field Γ () of Γ() and is respectively. Let : () → be the including map constant. ISRN Geometry 3 Assume that Γ() is parameterized by the arc length. We Substituting (19)into(14), we have know that 2 2 cos 2 +4( +) +4( cos +) =4. (20) 2 Γ () = + Since (, ∇ ) =,from( 0 15)and(19)wehave ℎ = ( ) (Γ ()) +( + Γ) (Γ ()) 2 cos 2 =2cos − ( + )∇. (∇, ∇ ) ℎ V =( +(∇) ) (Γ ()) , (21) (13) It follows that (, , ,∇ ) where () = ().Since(Γ ,Γ )=1and =/4 we have 2 (, ) +(∇ , ∇ ) =4. 2((cos /) + )(∇, , ,∇ ) (14) =− (∇, ∇ ) (22) Let be the angle between Γ () and .Wehave cos 2 =−2( + ) () . ( () ,()) () =(Γ () ,)= . (15) cos 2 It follows from (19)and(22)that(17)turnsinto Taking the derivative on both sides of (15)withrespectto, ( )+2(cos +2 )( −1)=0. we derive that Γ Γ (23) − sin ⋅ = (Γ () ,) For the Legendrian curves, we have the following theo- rem. =( Γ () ,) Γ () Theorem 1. Let Γ() = (() and let ()) be a Legendrian geodesic parameterized by arc length in ((),,,,) +(Γ () , ) Γ () with domain ∈[,]. Suppose that the set consisting of points ∈[,]such that the sectional curvature of at () =( )+(Γ () ,2(∇ )ℎ Γ Γ satisfying () = 1 is discrete. Then () is a geodesic of velocity 2 and () is the normal direction of () in . ℎ +(∇ ) −() ) Proof. Since Γ() is a Legendrian geodesic, we have =Γ(Γ)+8(∇, ) − 8 (, , ,∇ ) , 1 cos =0, =± , = ±,Γ =0. (24) (16) 2 ℎ Substituting these into (20)and(23), we have where =/, () = 2 (),andΓ and Γ are the Γ() 2 2 curvature and the direction of the acceleration of ,respec- (1 + )=4, tively. (25) Γ() ≡ 2 If is a slant curve, that is, Const, from (16)we ( −1)=0. have Bythesecondequationof(25) and the assumption of () we Γ(Γ)+8(∇, ) − 8 (, , ,∇ ) = 0. (17) have =0which means () is a geodesic in .Substituting =0into the first equation of (25)wehave=2.This Let {, } be the Frenet frame on ().Itfollowsfrom(15) completes the proof of Theorem 1. that we have For the non-Legendrian slant geodesics, we have the 2 cos following theorem. = +2, (18) Theorem 2. Let Γ() = ((), ()) be a slant geodesic in ∞ where = || and is a C function. It follows that () which is not Legendrian. Under the assumptions of as in Theorem 1,wehavethefollowing. 2 ∇ =( cos ) +2 ⋅ +2−2 (1) If () =±()̸ ,then() is a geodesic of velocity 2 and cos is a parallel vector field along (). (19) cos (2) If () = ±(),then() is a curve of velocity 2| cos | =−2( +)+2( cos +). 2 with constant curvature =±tan . 4 ISRN Geometry Proof. By the assumption we know that =/2̸ ,andform Let be a subset of [, ] such that | =0.Supposethat is which and (18)wehave =±1/2̸ .Since(, ),from =1 notempty.From(34)wehave (18)wehave ±√1−cos2 2 () = , (35) cos 2 2 4( ) +4 =1, (26) for any ∈ − [,. ] It is a contradiction to the continuity of unless cos =±1;thatis,=0or .Substituting=0 from which we derive that or into (34)wehave=0which means =[,].This completes the proof of the Lemma. {√1−42 =0 =0̸ { Firstly, we consider which implies .Itfollows { ,∈[0,), =±̸ cos { 2 2 from which and (18)wehave . = { (27) From (34)wehave { { √1−42 { ± sin − ,∈(,]. ≡ . (36) { 2 2 2 Suppose that ∈[0,/2),thenwehave It follows from which and (27)wehave=2.Substituting into (33)wehave =0. 2 cos Substituting , ,and into (19), we have ∇=0.This = . (1) √1−42 (28) proves Case in Theorem 2. Secondly, we consider =[,]which implies ≡0. It follows from which and (18)wehave=±and = Taking derivative on both side of this equation with respect 2| cos |.