The Curzon singularity. II: Global picture

A new coordinate system is presented for the Curzon metric such that a class of incomplete geodesics are extendible both in the past and the future into regions of flat space. All other incomplete geodesics terminate at the (infinite curvature) singularity, which appears as a ring with finite radius and is naked. The Curzon solution emerges in this picture as a peculiar kind of sandwich wave. This and other physical interpretations such as a possible collapse scenario are discussed.Commonwealth Postgraduate Research Award (Australia); Zonta International Amelia Earhart Fellow (U.S.A.); A.F.U.W.—Victoria Centenary Scholarship.