Asymptotics to all orders of the Euler--Darboux equation in a triangle

Abstract

In Einstein's theory of relativity, the interaction of two collinearly polarized plane gravitational waves can be described by a Goursat problem for the Euler--Darboux equation in a triangular domain. In this paper, using a representation of the solution in terms of Abel integrals, we give a full asymptotic expansion of the solution near the diagonal of the triangle. The expansion is related to the formation of a curvature singularity of the spacetime. In particular, our framework allows for boundary data with derivatives which are singular at the corners. This level of generality is crucial for the application to gravitational waves.