Spherically symmetric space-times transparent to scalar multipole waves

Using nonscattering potentials of Chang and Janis, a large class of spherically symmetric space-times is constructed on which all multipole solutions to the minimally coupled scalar wave equation are expressible in terms of characteristic data functions in essentially as simple a fashion as for flat space-time. The space-times are transparent to multipole waves in the same sense that flat space-time is. Both conformally flat and not conformally flat space-times are obtained. Some examples are discussed which show that the variety of transparent space-times is large even within the class of Robertson-Walker spaces.     

Null Limits of Generalised Bonnor-Swaminarayan Solutions

The Bonnor-Swaminarayan solutions are boost-rotation symmetric space-times which describe the motion of pairs of accelerating particles which are possibly connected to strings (struts). In an explicit and unified form we present a generalised class of such solutions with a few new observations. We then investigate the possible limits in which the accelerations become unbounded. The resulting space-times represent spherical impulsive gravitational waves with snapping or expanding cosmic strings. We also obtain an exact solution for a snapping string of finite length.     

Occurrence of whimper singularities

HOmogeneous space-times (i.e. those admitting a three-parameter group of isometries) are studied using the Newman Penrose formalism. It is found that solutions containing horizons depend on two fewer parameters than the most general solution, so that horizons and the associated whimper singularities are not stable features of homogeneous space-times. In the vacuum case, there are just three two-parameter families with horizons, two of which are the NUT solutions and certain plane waves.     

A few properties of a certain class of degenerate space-times

The properties are studied of a class of space-times determined by assuming the shape of the metric formds ² including disposable coordinate functions. It has been found that this class includes degenerate space-times with geodetic, null, shear-free congruences with nonvanishing expansion. The theorem has been proved that this class of solutions of the Einstein equations can easily be expanded to solutions of Einstein-Maxwell equations with a fairly general electromagnetic field. For a selected subclass relations are given between the functions determining the metric form, and two new explicit solutions with arbitrary functions of the Einstein-Maxwell equations with a cosmological constant are found.On leave from the Institute of Theoretical Physics, Warsaw University, Warsaw, Poland.     

Infinite hierarchies of exact solutions of the einstein and einstein-maxwell equations for interacting waves and inhomogeneous cosmologies

For space-times with two spacelike isometries, we present infinite hierarchies of exact solutions of the Einstein and Einstein-Maxwell equations as represented by their Ernst potentials. This hierarchy contains three arbitrary rational functions of an auxiliary complex parameter. They are constructed using the so-called "monodromy transform" approach and our new method for the solution of the linear singular integral equation form of the reduced Einstein equations. The solutions presented, which describe inhomogeneous cosmological models or gravitational and electromagnetic waves and their interactions, include a number of important known solutions as particular cases.     

Gravitational radiation and neutrinos

A class of neutrino-gravitational fields with zero energy-momentum tensor is defined. These space-times may also be interpreted as describing gravitational waves and are of Petrov typeD orN. A wave-like example of the latter is given.     

Null Limits of the C-Metric

The C-metric is usually understood as describing two black holes which accelerate in opposite directions under the action of some conical singularity. Here, we examine all the solutions of this type which represent accelerating sources and investigate the null limit in which the accelerations become unbounded. We show that the resulting space-times represent spherical impulsive gravitational waves generated by snapping or expanding cosmic strings.     

Metric and Ricci tensors for a certain class of space-times ofD type

The class of space-times has been determined at the connection level, assuming the existence of some symmetrical relations between the Ricci rotation coefficients. It has been assumed, for instance, that at least two shear-free congruences of null geodesics exist. We have shown that onlyD type or conformally flat space-times can belong to this class. The theorem has been proved that a system of coordinates exists in which the metric tensor can depend on two coordinates, only. The metric tensor has been determined with an accuracy to two functions, each of which is a function of only one coordinate. Linear, second-order differential expressions have been found for these two functions. They determine the Ricci tensor. Several solutions of the Einstein-Maxwell equations with a cosmological constant are given.On leave from the Institute of Theoretical Physics, Warsaw University, Warsaw, Poland.     

The stability of Killing–Cauchy horizons in colliding plane wave space-times

It is confirmed rigorously that the Killing–Cauchy horizons, which sometimes occur in space-times representing the collision and subsequent interaction of plane gravitational waves in a Minkowski background, are unstable with respect to bounded perturbations of the initial waves, at least for the case in which the initial waves have constant aligned polarizations.     

Energy and Momentum of Robinson-Trautman Space-Times

Robinson and Trautman space-times are studied in the context of teleparallel equivalent of general relativity (TEGR). These space-times are the simplest class of asymptotically flat geometries admitting gravitational waves. We calculate the total energy for such space-times using two methods, the gravitational energy-momentum and the translational momentum 2-form. The two methods give equal results of these calculations. We show that the value of energy depends on the gravitational mass M, the Gaussian curvature of the surfaces λ(u,θ) and on the function K(u,θ). The total energy reduces to the energies of Schwarzschild’s and Bondi’s space-times under specific forms of the function K(u,θ).     

Grand Canonical Ensembles in General Relativity

We develop a formalism for general relativistic, grand canonical ensembles in space-times with timelike Killing fields. Using that, we derive ideal gas laws, and show how they depend on the geometry of the particular space-times. A systematic method for calculating Newtonian limits is given for a class of these space-times, which is illustrated for Kerr space-time. In addition, we prove uniqueness of the infinite volume Gibbs measure, and absence of phase transitions for a class of interaction potentials in anti-de Sitter space.     

Black holes in higher dimensional space-times

Black hole solutions to Einstein's equations are examined in asymptotically flat N + 1 dimensional space-times. First generalizations of Schwarzschild and Reissner-Nordstrøm solutions are examined in a discussion of static black holes in N + 1 dimensions. Then a new family of solutions is found which describe spinning black holes in higher dimensional space-times. In many respects these new solutions are similar to the familiar Kerr and Schwarzschild metrics which are recovered for N = 3. One exceptional case though is that for N ≥ 5, black holes with a fixed mass may have arbitrarily large angular momentum.     

Bianchi type V perfect-fluid space-times

A method is presented to generate exact solutions of the Einstein field equations in Bianchi type V space-times. The energy-momentum tensor is of perfect fluid type. Starting from particular solutions, new classes of solutions are obtained. The geometrical and physical properties of a class of solutions are discussed.     

The equivalence of perfect fluid space-times and viscous magnetohydrodynamic space-times in general relativity

The work of a previous article [1] is extended to show that space-times which are the exact solutions of the field equations for a perfect fluid also may be exact solutions of the field equations for a viscous magnetohydrodynamic fluid. Conditions are found for this equivalence to exist and viscous magnetohydrodynamic solutions are found for a number of known perfect fluid space-times.     

Perfect fluid space-times with a two-dimensional orthogonally transitive group of homothetic motions

We use theghp formalism to obtain perfect fluid space-times with a two-dimensional and orthogonally transitive group of proper homothetic motionsH ₂, with the additional condition that the four-velocity of the fluid either lies on the group orbits or is orthogonal to them. In the first case the orbits of theH ₂ are timelike and all possible solutions are explicitly given. They comprise (i) space-times of Petrov type I that admit a groupH ₃ containing two hypersurface orthogonal and commuting Killing vectors (when theH ₂ is abelian, the fluid has a stiff equation of state and the space-time is of type D), and (ii) a class of type D static space-times with a maximalH ₂ in which the two-spaces orthogonal to the group orbits have constant curvature. When the orbits of theH ₂ are spacelike, the fluid is necessarily stiff and different classes of solutions admitting maximalH ₂ andH ₃ are identified.     

Lorentzian framed structures in general relativity

We study a class of four-dimensional real Lorentzian manifolds generated by a global operator (satisfying a cubic equation). We characterize empty, Einstein, conformally flat spaces and construct mathematical models of two physical space-times. Locally, the solutions presented have been identified with known solutions. Kruskal space-time is generated by using the warped product technique [11].     

Cosmic strings in Bianchi II,VIII and IX spacetimes: Integrable cases

We investigate the integrability of cosmic strings in Bianchi II, VIII and IX space-times using a Lie symmetry analysis. The behaviour of the gravitational field is governed by solutions of a single second order nonlinear differential equation. We demonstrate that this equation is integrable and admits an infinite family of physically reasonable solutions. Particular solutions obtained by other authors are shown to be special cases of our class of solutions.     

Gravitational Waves and Black Holes

In these lectures general relativity is outlined as the classical field theory of gravity, emphasizing physical phenomena rather than formalism. Dynamical solutions representing traveling waves as well as stationary fields like those of black holes are discussed. Their properties are investigated by studying the geodesic structure of the corresponding space-times, as representing the motion of point-like test particles. The interaction between gravitational, electro-magnetic and scalar fields is also considered.     

Uniqueness and nonuniqueness of static black holes in higher dimensions

We prove a uniqueness theorem for asymptotically flat static charged dilaton black-hole solutions in higher-dimensional space-times. We also construct infinitely many nonasymptotically flat regular static black holes on the same space-time manifold with the same spherical topology. An application to the uniqueness of a class of flat p-branes is also given.