Skip to main content
Log in

On the collision of gravitational plane waves: a class of soliton solutions

  • Research Articles
  • Published:
General Relativity and Gravitation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The inverse scattering method is used to obtain a class of solutions of the vacuum Einstein equations describing the space-time following the collision of two gravitational plane waves. The general features of these solutions are analyzed in terms of the behavior of the Weyl scalars, and some degenerate cases are discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Belinskii, V. A., and Zakharov, V. E. (1979).Sov. Phys. JETP,50(1), 1.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Belinskii, V. A., and Zakharov, V. E. (1978).Sov. Phys. JETP,48(6), 985.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Chandrasekhar, S. (1978).Proc. R. Soc. Lond.,A358, 405.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Chandrasekhar, S., and Ferrari, V. (1984).Proc. R. Soc. Lond.,A396, 55.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Khan, K. A., and Penrose, R. (1971).Nature,229, 185.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Nutku, Y., and Halil, M. (1977).Phys. Rev. Lett.,39, 1379.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Ibañez, J., and Ferrari, V. (1987).Gen. Relativ. Grav.,19, 383.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Chandrasekhar, S., and Xanthopoulos, B. C. (1985).Proc. R. Soc. Lond.,A402, 37.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Chandrasekhar, S., and Xanthopoulos, B. C. (1985).Proc. R. Soc. Lond.,A398, 398.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Ernst, F. J. (1968).Phys. Rev.,167, 1175.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Ernst, F. J. (1968).Phys. Rev.,168, 1415.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Cosgrove, C. M. (1982).J. Math. Phys.,23(4), 615.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Carr, B. J., and Verdaguer, E. (1983).Phys. Rev.,D28(12), 2995.

    Google Scholar 

  14. O'Brian, S., and Synge, J. L. (1952).Commun. Dubl. Inst. Adv. Stud.,A9.

  15. Bell, P., and Szekeres, P. (1974).Gen. Relativ. Grav.,5, 275.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Matzner, R. A., and Tipler, F. J. (1984).Phys. Rev.,D29, 1575.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ferrari, V., Ibañez, J. On the collision of gravitational plane waves: a class of soliton solutions. Gen Relat Gravit 19, 405–425 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00767280

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00767280

Keywords

Navigation