Generalised hyperbolicity in conical space-times

Abstract

Solutions of the wave equation in a space-time containing a thin cosmic string are examined in the context of non-linear generalised functions. Existence and uniqueness of solutions to the wave equation in the Colombeau algebra G is established for a conical space-time and this solution is shown to be associated to a distributional solution. A concept of generalised hyperbolicity, based on test fields, can be defined for such singular space-times and it is shown that a conical space-time is G-hyperbolic.

22 pages, AmSTeX, 2 postscript figures