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arXiv · hep-th/0308167

Type IIB Colliding Plane Waves

M. Gutperle·B. Pioline
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Abstract

Four-dimensional colliding plane wave (CPW) solutions have played an important role in understanding the classical non-linearities of Einstein's equations. In this note, we investigate CPW solutions in $2n+2$--dimensional Einstein gravity with a $n+1$-form flux. By using an isomorphism with the four-dimensional problem, we construct exact solutions analogous to the Szekeres vacuum solution in four dimensions. The higher-dimensional versions of the Khan-Penrose and Bell-Szekeres CPW solutions are studied perturbatively in the vicinity of the light-cone. We find that under small perturbations, a curvature singularity is generically produced, leading to both space-like and time-like singularities. For $n=4$, our results pertain to the collision of two ten-dimensional type IIB Blau - Figueroa o'Farrill - Hull - Papadopoulos plane waves.

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M. Gutperle, B. Pioline. 2003-10-09. Type IIB Colliding Plane Waves. https://doi.org/10.1088/1126-6708%2F2003%2F09%2F061

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