EXACT EMPTY-SPACE METRICS CONTAINING GEODESIC RAYS
Closed-form solutions are presented for several algebraic classes of empty-space metrics which contain geodesic rays (principal null directions of the Riemann tensor that are tangent to a congruence of null geodesics). The analytic riethod used is an application of the tetrad formalism developed by E. Newman and R. Penrose. All the solutions for the class of metrics containing non-shearing but curling geodesic rays are presented along with a nonexistence theorem that restricts solutions of this type to be Petrov type-I degenerate. One of these solutions is of particular interest for it is a generalization of the Schwarzschild metric that appears to describe the gravitational field of a spinning particle. All solutions for the class of metrics containing shearing hypersurface orthogonal (noncurling) geondesic rays with non-vanishing divergence (Petrov type-I non-degenerate) are also presented. This latter class was found to yield a very restricted number of solutions without apparent physical interest. Other known empty-space solutions containing geodesic rays are those of Robinson and Trautman and of Kundt. These are rederived, using the Newman-Penrose formalism. (Dissertation Abstr.)
- Research Organization:
- Originating Research Org. not identified
- NSA Number:
- NSA-18-000722
- OSTI ID:
- 4158364
- Country of Publication:
- Country unknown/Code not available
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
EMPTY SPACE METRICS CONTAINING HYPERSURFACE ORTHOGONAL GEODESIC RAYS
Vacuum solutions admitting a geodesic null congruence with shear proportional to expansion