A Classification of Spherically Symmetric Kinematic Self-Similar Perfect-Fluid Solutions. II

TL;DR

This paper classifies spherically symmetric kinematic self-similar solutions for perfect fluids, dust, and vacuum cases, revealing exact solutions and their relations to known cosmological models, and correcting previous classifications.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive classification of self-similar solutions, including new exact solutions and clarifications on the existence of solutions in different cases.

Findings

Dust solutions of the tilted case are subclasses of Lemaître-Tolman-Bondi solutions.

The flat FRW solution is unique for certain self-similarity types.

The singular stiff-fluid solution is a new exact solution discovered.

Abstract

We give a classification of spherically symmetric kinematic self-similar solutions. This classification is complementary to that given in a previous work by the present authors [Prog. Theor. Phys. 108, 819 (2002)]. Dust solutions of the second, zeroth and infinite kinds, perfect-fluid solutions and vacuum solutions of the first kind are treated. The kinematic self-similarity vector is either parallel or orthogonal to the fluid flow in the perfect-fluid and vacuum cases, while the `tilted' case, i.e., neither parallel nor orthogonal case, is also treated in the dust case. In the parallel case, there are no dust solutions of the second (except when the self-similarity index $\alpha$ is 3/2), zeroth and infinite kinds, and in the orthogonal case, there are no dust solutions of the second and infinite kinds. Except in these cases, the governing equations can be integrated to give exact solutions. It is found that the dust solutions in the tilted case belong to a subclass of the Lema{\^ i}tre-Tolman-Bondi family of solutions for the marginally bound case. The flat Friedmann-Robertson-Walker (FRW) solution is the only dust solution of the second kind with $\alpha=3/2$ in the tilted and parallel cases and of the zeroth kind in the orthogonal case. The flat, open and closed FRW solutions with $p=-\mu/3$, where $p$ and $\mu$ are the pressure and energy density, respectively, are the only perfect-fluid first-kind self-similar solutions in the parallel case, while a new exact solution with $p=\mu$, which we call the ``singular stiff-fluid solution'', is the only such solution in the orthogonal case. The Minkowski solution is the only vacuum first-kind self-similar solution both in the parallel and orthogonal cases. Some important corrections and complements to the authors' previous work are also presented.