Exact Space-Times in Einstein's General Relativity

This book explores concepts within general relativity in the context of the particular space-times in which they arise.

Jerry B. Griffiths (Author), Ji?í Podolský (Author)

9781107406186, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 9 August 2012

548 pages
24.4 x 17 x 2.8 cm, 0.86 kg

Review of the hardback: 'The relatively familiar material … covers somewhat more than a third of the book … the rest of the book's contents … is less familiar … I feel that [the authors] have … made a good choice … the exact solutions they discuss are surely important … for a person who wants to work in the field …As a reference on a wide selection of exact solutions, with geometrical and physical detail not found previously in one place, this book is a very useful companion.' General Relativity and Gravitation

Einstein's theory of general relativity is a theory of gravity and, as in the earlier Newtonian theory, much can be learnt about the character of gravitation and its effects by investigating particular idealised examples. This book describes the basic solutions of Einstein's equations with a particular emphasis on what they mean, both geometrically and physically. Concepts such as big bang and big crunch-types of singularities, different kinds of horizons and gravitational waves, are described in the context of the particular space-times in which they naturally arise. These notions are initially introduced using the most simple and symmetric cases. Various important coordinate forms of each solution are presented, thus enabling the global structure of the corresponding space-time and its other properties to be analysed. The book is an invaluable resource both for graduate students and academic researchers working in gravitational physics.

Preface
1. Introduction
2. Basic tools and concepts
3. Minkowski space-time
4. de Sitter space-time
5. Anti-de Sitter space-time
6. Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker space-times
7. Electrovacuum and related background space-times
8. Schwarzchild space-time
9. Space-times related to Schwarzchild
10. Static axially symmetric space-times
11. Rotating black holes
12. Taub-NUT space-time
13. Stationary, axially symmetric space-times
14. Accelerating black holes
15. Further solutions for uniformly accelerating particles
16. Pleba?ski-Demia?ski solutions
17. Plane and pp-waves
18. Kundt solutions
19. Robinson-Trautman solutions
20. Impulsive waves
21. Colliding plane waves
22. A final miscellany
Appendix A. 2-spaces of constant curvature
Appendix B. 3-spaces of constant curvature
References
Index.

Subject Areas: Atmospheric physics [PHVJ], Mathematical physics [PHU], Relativity physics [PHR], Cosmology & the universe [PGK]