Fluid spacetimes admitting covariantly constant vectors and tensors

Abstract

Spacetimes admitting a covariantly constant vector and satisfying the Einstein field equations for a perfect fluid, a viscous heat-conducting fluid, or an anisotropic fluid are studied. It is found that the only possible perfect fluid spacetimes are the Einstein static universe and ‘stiff-matter’ spacetimes with an isolated spatial co-ordinate, while the possible viscous fluid and anisotropic fluid spacetimes, although more abundant than their perfect fluid counterparts, must satisfy a number of strong restrictions. Examples illustrating most of the various possible situations are given. The paper concludes with a study of covariantly constant second-rank tensors in fluid spacetimes; the only possible solutions that do not also admit a covariantly constant vector are restricted to 2+2 spacetimes.