2003/03/31 by Justin R. David, Justin R David · 17 citations
Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Mathematical Physics Problems #Black Holes and Theoretical Physics #Gravitational singularity #Metric (unit) #Naked singularity #Navier-Stokes equation solutions #Null (SQL) #Operator (biology) #Plane (geometry) #Plane wave #Scalar (mathematics) #Singularity #hep-th
paper · pdf · doi:10.1088/1126-6708/2003/11/064
published in Journal of High Energy Physics 2003(11), 064 (Springer Nature) · 22 pages, Added references and clarifying comments
arxiv created 2003/05/01 · openalex publication_date 2003/11/27 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We study a class of time dependent solutions of the vacuum Einstein equations which are plane waves with weak null singularities. This singularity is weak in the sense that though the tidal forces diverge at the singularity, the rate of divergence is such that the distortion suffered by a freely falling observer remains finite. Among such weak singular plane waves there is a sub-class which do not exhibit large back reaction in the presence of test scalar probes. String propagation in these backgrounds is smooth and there is a natural way to continue the metric beyond the singularity. This continued metric admits string propagation without the string becoming infinitely excited. We construct a one parameter family of smooth metrics which are at a finite distance in the space of metrics from the extended metric and a well defined operator in the string sigma model which resolves the singularity.