Stationary axisymmetric perfect fluid solutions in general relativity

A new class of exact solutions of Einstein's field equations with the energy-momentum tensor of a perfect fluid is given. The class of solutions is invariantly characterized by means of the following properties: (i) The energy-momentum tensor describes a perfect fluid. (ii) There are two commuting Killing vectors and which form an abelian groupG ₂ of motion. (iii) There is a timelike Killing vector parallel to the four-velocity of the fluid (rigid rotation of the fluid). (iv) The four-vector of the angular velocity of the fluid is a gradient ⁱ=–(1/4_c)^irklU_l (U_r:k–U_k:r)= ⁱ. The last assumption is the reason that all solutions of this class can be found by solving an ordinary differential equation of the second order.