Singular Null Hypersurfaces In General Relativity: Light-like Signals From Violent Astrophysical Events

This book presents a comprehensive and self-contained exposition of the mathematical theory of impulsive light-like signals in general relativity. Applications are provided in relativistic astrophysics, cosmology and alternative theories of gravity deduced from string theory. Cataclysmic astrophysical events give rise to impulsive light-like signals which can generally be decomposed into a thin sh...