Invariant classification of vacuum pp-waves

DOI10.1063/1.4791691zbMATH Open1284.83032arXiv1209.5081OpenAlexW3102431315MaRDI QIDQ5396294FDOQ5396294

Authors: Robert Milson, David McNutt, Alan Coley 

Publication date: 5 February 2014

Published in: Journal of Mathematical Physics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: We solve the equivalence problem for vacuum PP-wave spacetimes by employing the Karlhede algorithm. Our main result is a suite of Cartan invariants that allows for the complete invariant classification of the vacuum pp-waves. In particular, we derive the invariant characterization of the G2 and G3 sub-classes in terms of these invariants. It is known [Collins91] that the invariant classification of vacuum pp-waves requires at most the fourth order covariant derivative of the curvature tensor, but no specific examples requiring the fourth order were known. Using our comprehensive classification, we prove that the q<=4 bound is sharp and explicitly describe all such maximal order solutions.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1209.5081

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zbMATH Keywords

equivalence problemCartan invariantinvariant classificationvacuum pp-wave

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Applications of differential geometry to physics (53Z05) Exact solutions to problems in general relativity and gravitational theory (83C15) Classes of solutions; algebraically special solutions, metrics with symmetries for problems in general relativity and gravitational theory (83C20) Gravitational waves (83C35)

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Cited In (6)

• Canonical formulation of pp-waves
• Vacuum plane waves: Cartan invariants and physical interpretation
• \textit{pp}-wave initial data
• Congruence convergence in pp-wave space-time
• The equivalence problem for generic four-dimensional metrics with two commuting Killing vectors
• Vacuum Kundt waves

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