This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Hillman (talk | contribs) at 03:17, 24 May 2005. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 03:17, 24 May 2005 by Hillman (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)I have corrected the metric given in terms of the Brinkmann coordinates to include only the vacuum metrics. In the form previously given, we would allow either nongravitational radiation, or gravitational radiation, or both. In other words, we would have a null dust solution, not a vacuum soluton.
It is unfortunately true that "*-metric" is a standard term in the literature, but a metric tensor is a tensor field on a spacetime, not the spacetime itself. Since it is so easy to use less confusing terminology, why not do so? I would prefer to replace "pp-wave metrics" with "pp-waves" or "pp-wave spacetimes", but haven't done that, principally because I don't (yet) know how.