Conformal symmetries of the energy-momentum tensor of spherically symmetric static spacetimes

TL;DR

This paper investigates the conformal symmetries of the energy-momentum tensor in spherically symmetric static spacetimes, revealing maximum symmetry cases and differences in degenerate scenarios.

Contribution

It derives the general form of conformal matter collineations for non-degenerate cases and explores the infinite symmetries in degenerate cases.

Findings

Maximum of fifteen independent conformal matter collineations in non-degenerate cases

Infinite degrees of freedom in degenerate energy-momentum tensor cases

Existence of non-degenerate Ricci inheritance collineations in some degenerate subcases

Abstract

Conformal matter collineations of the energy-momentum tensor for a general spherically symmetric static spacetime are studied. The general form of these collineations is found when the energy-momentum tensor is non-degenerate, and the maximum number of independent conformal matter collineations is \emph{fifteen}. In the degenerate case of the energy-momentum tensor it is found that these collineations have infinite degrees of freedom. In some subcases of degenerate energy-momentum, the Ricci tensor is non-degenerate, that is, there exist non-degenerate Ricci inheritance collineations.