Some Exact Solutions in General Relativity

<p><b>In this thesis four separate problems in general relativity are considered, dividedinto two separate themes: coordinate conditions and perfect fluid spheres. Regardingcoordinate conditions we present a pedagogical discussion of how the appropriateuse of coordinate conditions can lead to simplifications in the form of the spacetimecurvature — such tricks are often helpful when seeking specific exact solutions of theEinstein equations. Regarding perfect fluid spheres we present several methods oftransforming any given perfect fluid sphere into a possibly new perfect fluid sphere.</b></p> <p>This is done in three qualitatively distinct manners: The first set of solution generatingtheorems apply in Schwarzschild curvature coordinates, and are phrased in termsof the metric components: they show how to transform one static spherical perfectfluid spacetime geometry into another. A second set of solution generating theoremsextends these ideas to other coordinate systems (such as isotropic, Gaussian polar,Buchdahl, Synge, and exponential coordinates), again working directly in terms of themetric components. Finally, the solution generating theorems are rephrased in termsof the TOV equation and density and pressure profiles. Most of the relevant calculationsare carried out analytically, though some numerical explorations are also carriedout.</p>