A completely revised and updated edition of this classic text, covering important new methods and many recently discovered solutions. This edition contains new chapters on generation methods and their application, classification of metrics by invariants, and treatments of homothetic motions and methods from dynamical systems theory. It also includes colliding waves, inhomogeneous cosmological solutions, and spacetimes containing special subspaces.
Table of Contents
Preface; List of tables; Notation; 1. Introduction; Part I. General Methods: 2. Differential geometry without a metric; 3. Some topics in Riemannian geometry; 4. The Petrov classification; 5. Classification of the Ricci tensor and the energy-movement tensor; 6. Vector fields; 7. The Newman-Penrose and related formalisms; 8. Continuous groups of transformations; isometry and homothety groups; 9. Invariants and the characterization of geometrics; 10. Generation techniques; Part II. Solutions with Groups of Motions: 11. Classification of solutions with isometries or homotheties; 12. Homogeneous space-times; 13. Hypersurface-homogeneous space-times; 14. Spatially-homogeneous perfect fluid cosmologies; 15. Groups G3 on non-null orbits V2. Spherical and plane symmetry; 16. Spherically-symmetric perfect fluid solutions; 17. Groups G2 and G1 on non-null orbits; 18. Stationary gravitational fields; 19. Stationary axisymmetric fields: basic concepts and field equations; 20. Stationary axisymmetiric vacuum solutions; 21. Non-empty stationary axisymmetric solutions; 22. Groups G2I on spacelike orbits: cylindrical symmetry; 23. Inhomogeneous perfect fluid solutions with symmetry; 24. Groups on null orbits. Plane waves; 25. Collision of plane waves; Part III. Algebraically Special Solutions: 26. The various classes of algebraically special solutions. Some algebraically general solutions; 27. The line element for metrics with kappa=sigma=0=R11=R14=R44, THETA+iomega<>0 28. Robinson-Trautman solutions; 29. Twisting vacuum solutions; 30. Twisting Einstein-Maxwell and pure radiation fields; 31. Non-diverging solutions (Kundt's class); 32. Kerr-Schild metrics; 33. Algebraically special perfect fluid solutions; Part IV. Special Methods: 34. Applications of generation techniques to general relativity; 35. Special vector and tensor fields; 36. Solutions with special subspaces; 37. Local isometric embedding of four-dimensional Riemannian manifolds; Part V. Tables: 38. The interconnections between the main classification schemes; References; Index.
Author Biography
Hans Stephani gained his Diploma, PhD and Habilitation at the Friedrich Schiller Universitat Jena. He became Professor of Theoretical Physics in 1992, before retiring in 2000. He has been lecturing in theoretical physics since 1964 and has published numerous papers and articles on relativity and optics. Dietrich Kramer is currently Professor of Theoretical Physics at the Friedrich Schiller Universitat Jena. He graduated from this university, where he also finished his PhD (1966) and habilitation (1970). His current research concerns Classical Relativity. The majority of his publications are devoted to Exact Solutions in General Relativity. Malcolm MacCallum is currently Professor of Applied Mathematics at the School of Mathematical Sciences, Queen Mary, University of London, where he is also Vice-Principal for Science and Engineering. He graduated from Kings College, Cambridge and went on to complete his M.A. and PhD there. Cornelius Hoenselaers gained his Diploma at Technische Universitat Karlsruhe, his DSc at Hiroshima Daigaku and his Habilitation at Ludwig-Maximilian Universitat Munchen. He is currently Reader in Relativity Theory at Loughborough University. Eduard Herlt is currently wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter at the Theoretisch Physikalisches Institut der Friedrich Schiller Universitat Jena. Having studied Physics as an undergraduate at Jena, he went on to complete his PhD there as well as his Habilitation. He has had numerous publications including one previous book.
