Collisions of Einstein-Conformal Scalar Waves

TL;DR

This paper identifies solutions describing the collision of conformal scalar waves in Einstein's gravity, analyzing their global properties and showing singularity formation is inevitable without initial gravitational radiation.

Contribution

It introduces a class of solutions for Einstein-conformal scalar equations derived from Einstein-minimally coupled spacetimes using a Bekenstein transformation, focusing on their global and singularity properties.

Findings

Final singularity formation is generic without initial gravitational radiation.

Solutions describe collisions of asymptotic conformal scalar waves.

Singularity structure is thoroughly analyzed.

Abstract

A large class of solutions of the Einstein-conformal scalar equations in D=2+1 and D=3+1 is identified. They describe the collisions of asymptotic conformal scalar waves and are generated from Einstein-minimally coupled scalar spacetimes via a (generalized) Bekenstein transformation. Particular emphasis is given to the study of the global properties and the singularity structure of the obtained solutions. It is shown, that in the case of the absence of pure gravitational radiation in the initial data, the formation of the final singularity is not only generic, but is even inevitable.