Natural group action on mapping torus

differential-geometrygeometric-topologylie-groupsriemannian-geometrysmooth-manifolds

Let $ (F,g) $ be a Riemannian manifold. Let $ G:=Iso(F,g) $ be the isometry group. Let $ M $ be the mapping torus of some isometry of $ F $. So we have a bundle
$$
F \to M \to S^1
$$

$ M $ has Riemannian cover $ F \times \mathbb{R} $ and there is natural action of $ G \times \mathbb{R} $ on $ F \times \mathbb{R} $. If the mapping torus is trivial $ M\cong F \times S^1 $ then this action on the cover descends to a natural action on the mapping torus. What if the mapping torus is nontrivial? When is there a natural action of $ G \times \mathbb{R} $ on $ M $? I am especially interested in the case where $ F $ is Riemannian homogeneous and this action on the mapping torus is transitive. I was inspired to ask this by a claim in this question

https://mathoverflow.net/questions/410547/exact-condition-for-smooth-homogeneous-to-imply-riemannian-homogeneous

and a similar claim in this question

https://mathoverflow.net/questions/413409/mapping-torus-of-orientation-reversing-isometry-of-the-sphere

that there is a natural action of the group $ O_{n+1}(\mathbb{R}) \times \mathbb{R} $ on the mapping torus of the antipodal map on $ S^n $.

Best Answer

A sufficient condition is that the isometry $\varphi$ is central in $G$, since in that case the action of $G\times\mathbb{R}$ preserves fibers of the covering. This is what happens for the mapping tori of the antipodal maps on round $S^n$.