1998/09/23 by J. Podolsky, J Podolský, K. Vesely +1 · 1 citation
Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Mathematical Physics Problems #Black Holes and Theoretical Physics #Boundary (topology) #Boundary value problem #Chaotic #Class (philosophy) #Fractal #Geodesic #Motion (physics) #Nonlinear Waves and Solitons #Radiative transfer #gr-qc
paper · pdf · doi:10.1088/0264-9381/15/11/015
published as Class.Quant.Grav. 15 (1998) 3505-3521 · 15 pages (latex),12 figures (gif), to appear in Class. Quantum Grav
arxiv created 1998/09/23 · openalex publication_date 1998/11/01 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We investigate geodesics in non-homogeneous vacuum pp -wave solutions and demonstrate their chaotic behaviour by rigorous analytic and numerical methods. For the particular class of solutions considered, distinct `outcomes' (channels to infinity) are identified, and it is shown that the boundary between different outcomes has a fractal structure. This seems to be the first example of chaos in exact radiative spacetimes.