Monodromy transform and the integral equation method for solving the string gravity and supergravity equations in four and higher dimensions

The monodromy transform and corresponding integral equation method described here give rise to a general systematic approach for solving integrable reductions of field equations for gravity coupled bosonic dynamics in string gravity and supergravity in four and higher dimensions. For different types of fields in space-times of $D\ge 4$ dimensions with $d=D-2$ commuting isometries -- stationary fields with spatial symmetries, interacting waves or partially inhomogeneous cosmological models, the string gravity equations govern the dynamics of interacting gravitational, dilaton, antisymmetric tensor and any number $n\ge 0$ of Abelian vector gauge fields (all depending only on two coordinates). The equivalent spectral problem constructed earlier allows to parameterize the infinite-dimensional space of local solutions of these equations by two pairs of \cal{arbitrary} coordinate-independent holomorphic $d\times d$- and $d\times n$- matrix functions ${\mathbf{u}_\pm(w), \mathbf{v}_\pm(w)}$ of a spectral parameter $w$ which constitute a complete set of monodromy data for normalized fundamental solution of this spectral problem. The "direct" and "inverse" problems of such monodromy transform --- calculating the monodromy data for any local solution and constructing the field configurations for any chosen monodromy data always admit unique solutions. We construct the linear singular integral equations which solve the inverse problem. For any \emph{rational} and \emph{analytically matched} (i.e. $\mathbf{u}_+(w)\equiv\mathbf{u}_-(w)$ and $\mathbf{v}_+(w)\equiv\mathbf{v}_-(w)$) monodromy data the solution for string gravity equations can be found explicitly. Simple reductions of the space of monodromy data leads to the similar constructions for solving of other integrable symmetry reduced gravity models, e.g. 5D minimal supergravity or vacuum gravity in $D\ge 4$ dimensions.Comment: RevTex 7 pages, 1 figur

Infinite hierarchies of exact solutions of the Einstein and Einstein-Maxwell equations for interacting waves and inhomogeneous cosmologies

For space-times with two spacelike isometries, we present infinite hierarchies of exact solutions of the Einstein and Einstein--Maxwell equations as represented by their Ernst potentials. This hierarchy contains three arbitrary rational functions of an auxiliary complex parameter. They are constructed using the so called `monodromy transform' approach and our new method for the solution of the linear singular integral equation form of the reduced Einstein equations. The solutions presented, which describe inhomogeneous cosmological models or gravitational and electromagnetic waves and their interactions, include a number of important known solutions as particular cases.Comment: 7 pages, minor correction and reduction to conform with published versio

Solving the characteristic initial value problem for colliding plane gravitational and electromagnetic waves

A method is presented for solving the characteristic initial value problem for the collision and subsequent nonlinear interaction of plane gravitational or gravitational and electromagnetic waves in a Minkowski background. This method generalizes the monodromy transform approach to fields with nonanalytic behaviour on the characteristics inherent to waves with distinct wave fronts. The crux of the method is in a reformulation of the main nonlinear symmetry reduced field equations as linear integral equations whose solutions are determined by generalized (``dynamical'') monodromy data which evolve from data specified on the initial characteristics (the wavefronts).Comment: 4 pages, RevTe

Equilibrium configurations of two charged masses in General Relativity

An asymptotically flat static solution of Einstein-Maxwell equations which describes the field of two non-extreme Reissner - Nordstr\"om sources in equilibrium is presented. It is expressed in terms of physical parameters of the sources (their masses, charges and separating distance). Very simple analytical forms were found for the solution as well as for the equilibrium condition which guarantees the absence of any struts on the symmetry axis. This condition shows that the equilibrium is not possible for two black holes or for two naked singularities. However, in the case when one of the sources is a black hole and another one is a naked singularity, the equilibrium is possible at some distance separating the sources. It is interesting that for appropriately chosen parameters even a Schwarzschild black hole together with a naked singularity can be "suspended" freely in the superposition of their fields.Comment: 4 pages; accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Collision of plane gravitational and electromagnetic waves in a Minkowski background: solution of the characteristic initial value problem

We consider the collisions of plane gravitational and electromagnetic waves with distinct wavefronts and of arbitrary polarizations in a Minkowski background. We first present a new, completely geometric formulation of the characteristic initial value problem for solutions in the wave interaction region for which initial data are those associated with the approaching waves. We present also a general approach to the solution of this problem which enables us in principle to construct solutions in terms of the specified initial data. This is achieved by re-formulating the nonlinear dynamical equations for waves in terms of an associated linear problem on the spectral plane. A system of linear integral ``evolution'' equations which solve this spectral problem for specified initial data is constructed. It is then demonstrated explicitly how various colliding plane wave space-times can be constructed from given characteristic initial data.Comment: 33 pages, 3 figures, LaTeX. Accepted for publication in Classical and Quantum Gravit

Integrability of generalized (matrix) Ernst equations in string theory

The integrability structures of the matrix generalizations of the Ernst equation for Hermitian or complex symmetric $d\times d$-matrix Ernst potentials are elucidated. These equations arise in the string theory as the equations of motion for a truncated bosonic parts of the low-energy effective action respectively for a dilaton and $d\times d$ - matrix of moduli fields or for a string gravity model with a scalar (dilaton) field, U(1) gauge vector field and an antisymmetric 3-form field, all depending on two space-time coordinates only. We construct the corresponding spectral problems based on the overdetermined $2d\times 2d$-linear systems with a spectral parameter and the universal (i.e. solution independent) structures of the canonical Jordan forms of their matrix coefficients. The additionally imposed conditions of existence for each of these systems of two matrix integrals with appropriate symmetries provide a specific (coset) structures of the related matrix variables. An equivalence of these spectral problems to the original field equations is proved and some approach for construction of multiparametric families of their solutions is envisaged.Comment: 15 pages, no figures, LaTeX; based on the talk given at the Workshop ``Nonlinear Physics: Theory and Experiment. III'', 24 June - 3 July 2004, Gallipoli (Lecce), Italy. Minor typos, language and references corrections. To be published in the proceedings in Theor. Math. Phy