Self-dual Walker metrics with a two-step nilpotent Ricci operator (Q856765)

A metric of signature \((2,2)\) on a 4-dimensional manifold is called a Walker metric if it admits a two-dimensional null distribution that is parallel with respect to the Levi-Civita connection. In this paper the authors present conditions for a Walker metric to be self-dual, anti-self-dual, or an Einstein metric. In particular, they give a local characterization of self-dual Walker metrics whose traceless Ricci operator, considered as a bundle-valued two-form, is two-step nilpotent. The motivation for this investigation comes from the theory of hyperbolic twistor spaces.