The generalized Jacobi metric

Abstract

We present a new approach to the Jacobi metric formalism for Lorentzian spacetimes. We define a new Jacobi metric that inherits the spacetime, null and timelike geodesic equations for asymptotically flat spacetimes including the stationary ones. The method provides a way for finding a reduced 2-dimensional Jacobi metric, which in the static spherically symmetric case coincides with the already known Jacobi metric. We discuss about the conserved quantities for both proposals. Applying this formalism to black hole metrics, we show that the Gaussian curvature of the reduced 2-dimensional Jacobi metric attains an extremum at the points where the horizons are located giving one of the first characterizations of horizons in a Riemannian metric coming from a spacetime.