Conformal symmetry classes for pp-wave spacetimes

Abstract

We determine conformal symmetry classes for the pp-wave spacetimes. This refines the isometry classification scheme given by Sippel and Goenner (1986 {\it Gen. Rel. Grav.} {\bf 18} 1229). It is shown that every conformal Killing vector for the null fluid type $N$ pp-wave spacetimes is a conformal Ricci collineation. The maximum number of proper non-special conformal Killing vectors in a type $N$ pp-wave spacetime is shown to be three, and we determine the form of a particular set of type $N$ pp-wave spacetimes admitting such conformal Killing vectors. We determine the conformal symmetries of each type $N$ isometry class of Sippel and Goenner and present new isometry classes.