Standing gravitational waves from domain walls

TL;DR

This paper constructs an exact solution describing standing gravitational waves generated by a domain wall and a scalar field, providing insights into non-linear wave solutions in Einstein's equations and potential applications in higher-dimensional models.

Contribution

It presents a novel exact solution for standing gravitational waves involving a domain wall and scalar field, with implications for theoretical physics and higher-dimensional models.

Findings

Solution models a plane symmetric standing gravitational wave

Scalar field behaves like stiff matter with equal sound and light speed

Potential applications in brane-world scenarios

Abstract

We construct a plane symmetric, standing gravitational wave for a domain wall plus a massless scalar field. The scalar field can be associated with a fluid which has the properties of `stiff' matter, i.e. matter in which the speed of sound equals the speed of light. Although domain walls are observationally ruled out in the present era the solution has interesting features which might shed light on the character of exact non-linear wave solutions to Einstein's equations. Additionally this solution may act as a template for higher dimensional 'brane-world' model standing waves.