Junction equations for two spherically symmetric spacetimes and the distributional method

Abstract

Applying the distributional formalism to study the dynamics of thin shells in general relativity, we regain the junction equations for matching of two spherically symmetric spacetimes separated by a singular hypersurface. In particular, we have shown how to define and insert the relevant sign functions in the junction equations corresponding to the signs of the extrinsic curvature tensor occurred in the Darmois-Israel method.