Symmetries and geodesics in (anti-)de Sitter spacetimes with non-expanding impulsive waves

Article

Symmetries and geodesics in (anti-)de Sitter spacetimes with non-expanding impulsive waves

Podolský, J.; Ortaggio, M.

Class. Quantum Grav. 18, 2689-2706 (2001)

Abstract

We consider a class of exact solutions which represent nonexpanding impulsive waves in backgrounds with nonzero cosmological constant. Using a convenient 5-dimensional formalism it is shown that these spacetimes admit at least three global Killing vector fields. The same geometrical approach enables us to find all geodesics in a simple explicit form and describe the effect of impulsive waves on test particles. Timelike geodesics in the axially-symmetric Hotta-Tanaka spacetime are studied in detail. It is also demonstrated that for vanishing cosmological constant, the symmetries and geodesics reduce to those for well-known impulsive pp-waves.

Institute authors

Podolský, Jiří

Supported by

GACR 202/99/0261 — Relativistic physics and astrophysics
GAUK 141/2000 — Relativistická teorie gravitace, astrofyzika a kosmologie

BibTeX

@article{UTF163,
  author        = {Podolský, J. and Ortaggio, M.},
  title         = {{Symmetries and geodesics in (anti-)de Sitter spacetimes with non-expanding impulsive waves}},
  journal       = {Class. Quantum Grav.},
  volume        = {18},
  pages         = {2689-2706},
  year          = {2001},
  doi           = {10.1088/0264-9381/18/14/307},
  eprint        = {gr-qc/0105065},
  archivePrefix = {arXiv},
  url           = {http://www.iop.org/EJ/article/0264-9381/18/14/307/q11407.pdf},
}