A new exact solution for colliding gravitational plane waves (Q1087164)

A new exact solution of the vacuum Einstein equations describing the spacetime following the collision of two plane impulsive gravitational waves, each supporting a plane gravitational wave, is obtained. The solution has been extended prior to the instant of collision and the main features of the resulting spacetime have been analyzed, using the Newman- Penrose formalism. It is shown that the result of the collision is the development of a singularity of the spacetime due to the simultaneous focussing of the two plane waves.