On the physical interpretation of some simple soliton solutions of Einstein's equations

Abstract

The simple soliton solutions of Einstein's equations obtained by Belinski and Zakharov using the inverse scattering method have been interpreted as gravitational (solitary) shock waves, partly on the basis of an analysis of certain (coordinate) singularities apparently inherent to the method. A closer study reveals, however, that such singularities can be removed by an appropriate extension of the solutions, which is given explicitly. A classification of inequivalent flat space-time metrics appropriate for the applications of the method is derived. The problem of matching the Belinski-Zakharov (B-Z) simple solitons to flat space-time is analyzed and found to have more than one solution depending on the type of singularity admitted in the Ricci tensor. This is further illustrated by considering a three-parameter solution, inequivalent to that of Belinski and Zakharov. For negative values of one of these parameters the ranges of the coordinates are limited only by curvature singularities. For positive values of the parameter, coordinate singularities, similar to those in the B-Z solution, are also present. In this case, however, a matching to flat space-time leads to a shock front whose intersection with any spacelike hypersurface is bounded, in contrast with the behavior displayed by the B-Z solutions. The limiting case when the parameter is zero is found to have some special properties. A smooth extension is also shown to exist.