On conformally related pp-waves

Abstract

Brinkmann [1] has shown that conformally related distinct Ricci flat solutions are pp-waves. Brinkmann’s result has been generalized to include the conformally invariant source terms. It has been shown that [4] if g _ik and $\overline g$ _ik (=w ⁻² g _ik ; w: a scalar function), are distinct metrics having the same Einstein tensor, G _ik =$\overline G$ _ik , then both represent (generalized) pp-waves and w _i is a null covariantly constant vector of g _ik . Thus pp-waves are the only candidates which yield conformally related nontrivial solutions of G _ik =T _ik =$\overline G$ _ik , with T _ik being conformally invariant source.

In this paper the functional form of the conformal factor for the conformally related pp-waves/generalized pp-waves has been obtained. It has been shown that the most general pp-wave, conformally related to ds ²=−2du[dv−mdy=Hdu]+P ⁻²[dy ²+dz ²], turns out to be (au+b)⁻² ds ², where a,b are constants. Only in the special case when m=0, H=1, and P=P(y, z), the conformal factor is (au+b)⁻² or (a(u+v)+b)⁻².