Generalization of the Geroch-Held-Penrose formalism to higher dimensions

Abstract

Geroch, Held and Penrose invented a formalism for studying spacetimes admitting one or two preferred null directions. This approach is very useful for studying algebraically special spacetimes and their perturbations. In the present paper, the formalism is generalized to higher-dimensional spacetimes. This new formalism leads to equations that are considerably simpler than those of the higher-dimensional Newman-Penrose formalism employed previously. The dynamics of p-form test fields is analyzed using the new formalism and some results concerning algebraically special p-form fields are proved.