On perturbations of solutions of the Einstein-Maxwell equations

By using the expressions for the solutions of the Einstein-Maxwell equations in terms of potentials, valid in the case where the spacetime admits a shear-free geodesic null congruence and the electromagnetic field is aligned to it, we show that a pair of complex potentials generates simultaneous perturbations of the gravitational and the electromagnetic fields. We also show that if the background electromagnetic field is null, then the pair of complex potentials is determined by a pair of coupled, linear, second-order differential equations. (orig.)