Spherical symmetry and mass-energy in higher dimensions (Q1309026)

Taking into account the importance of the higher dimensional spaces in modern theoretical physics, especially in the supergravity in 11 dimensions and superstrings in 10 dimensions, the authors consider an \((n+2)\) dimensional space with the metric \[ ds^ 2 = e^{2\beta}(U/r) du^ 2 + 2 du dr - R^ 2 dX^ 2_ n, \] where \(dX^ 2_ n = d\theta^ 2_ 1 + \sin^ 2 \theta_ 1 d\theta^ 2_ 2 + \dots + \sin^ 2 \theta_ 1 \dots \sin^ 2 \theta_{n-1} d\theta^ 2_ n\), and \(\beta = \beta(r,u)\), \(V = V(r,u)\), \(R = R(r,u)\). This is how the Christoffel symbols, the curvature and the Einstein tensors are determined. Following \textit{M. E. Cahill's} and \textit{G. C. McVittie's} reasoning [J. Math. Phys. 11, 1382-1391 (1970; Zbl 0195.563)], the authors define an invariant mass function \(m(u,r)\) and show that this function is an integral of Einstein's equations. Two applications are considered.