Critical phenomena and a new class of self-similar spherically symmetric perfect-fluid solutions

Carr, B. J.; Coley, A. A.; Goliath, M.; Nilsson, U. S.; Uggla, C.

Critical phenomena and a new class of self-similar spherically symmetric perfect-fluid solutions

Authors

Description

We consider the self-similar solutions associated with the critical behavior observed in the gravitational collapse of spherically symmetric perfect fluids with equation of state $p=αμ$. We identify for the first time the global nature of these solutions and show that it is sensitive to the value of $α$. In particular, for $α>0.28$, we show that the critical solution is associated with a new class of asymptotically Minkowski self-similar spacetimes. We discuss some of the implications of this for critical phenomena.
5 pages RevTeX, 5 eps figures