The space-time outside a source of gravitational radiation: the axially symmetric null fluid

We carry out a study of the exterior of an axially and reflection symmetric source of gravitational radiation. The exterior of such a source is filled with a null fluid produced by the dissipative processes inherent to the emission of gravitational radiation, thereby representing a generalization of the Vaidya metric for axially and reflection symmetric space-times. The role of the vorticity, and its relationship with the presence of gravitational radiation is put in evidence. The spherically symmetric case (Vaidya) is, asymptotically, recovered within the context of the 1 + 3 formalism. (orig.)