Newman-Penrose approach to twisting degenerate metrics (Q2536966)

This paper is concerned with a systematic application of the method originally developed by \textit{E. Newman} and \textit{R. Penrose} [J. Math. Phys. 3, 566--578 (1962; Zbl 0108.40905)] for the construction of solutions of Einstein's field equations in empty space which contain shear-free, diverging, and twisting geodesic rays. The method yields the solution of \textit{R. P. Kerr} [Phys. Rev. Lett. 11, 237--238 (1963; Zbl 0112.21904)], as well as the more general class obtained by \textit{R. P. Kerr} and \textit{A. Schild} [Proc. Sympos. Appl. Math. 17, 199--209 (1965)], all of which correspond to a metric tensor of the form \[ g_{\mu\nu} = \eta_{\mu\nu} + 2H \ell_\mu \ell_\nu, \] in which \(\eta_{\mu\nu}\) represents the metric of flat space-time and \(\ell_\mu\) is a null-vector. The author's method also explains the success of the technique involving complex transformations for the construction of new metrics from that of Schwarzschild. The paper concludes with an investigation of a more general metric of the type \[ h_{\mu\nu} = g_{\mu\nu} + 2H \ell_\mu \ell_\nu, \] where both \(h_{\mu\nu}\) and \(g_{\mu\nu}\) are solutions of the Einstein vacuum field equations.