A class of conformally flat solutions for systems undergoing radiative gravitational collapse

Abstract

We present a class of conformally flat solutions of the Einstein's field equations for spherical systems undergoing gravitational collapse accompanied with radial heat flux. The interior space-time of the collapsing matter is chosen to be conformal to the Robertson-Walker space-time so that its Weyl tensor vanishes identically. The conditions which ensure smooth matching of the interior space-time of the collapsing system, across its boundary, with the exterior space-time of a radiating star which is described by Vaidya metric lead to an equation governing its overall subsequent evolution. New solutions of this equation have been shown to provide physically viable models of collapsing stars.