The Space-Time Metric Outside a Pulsating Charged Sphere

Abstract

We consider the problem of determining the dynamics of the electromagnetic field generated outside a ball whose charge changes depending on time. We are in conditions of perfect symmetry and the electric field is considered to be radial. This is not a simplification since, under such a hypothesis, the magnetic field does not develop. Thus, it is first necessary to find out the appropriate modeling equations. These are obtained by writing a suitable energy tensor that combines the classical electromagnetic stress-energy tensor with a special kind of mass tensor. The next step is to show that it is possible to solve Einstein’s equations by plugging the new tensor on the right-hand side. Interesting connections with some classical solutions related to black holes are finally established.