No label defined (Q4400511)

The papers reviews the status of Penrose's idea that the asymptotic structure of gravitational fields in null directions can be characterized by the requirement that the conformal structure be smoothly extendible through null infinity. This idea is based on the elegant concept of asymptotically simple spacetimes introduced by Penrose. The most important property of asymptotically simple spacetimes is that they imply a certain fall-off condition on the Weyl tensor called ``Sachs peeling-off property''. The author reviews theorems that prove the existence of solutions of Einstein equations that are asymptotically simple. There is not yet a general theorem but special results proven by the author himself for spacetimes with non-vanishing cosmological constant exist. For the entire collection see [Zbl 0890.00046].