Noether gauge symmetry classes for pp-wave spacetimes

Abstract

The Noether gauge symmetries of geodesic Lagrangian for the pp-wave spacetimes are determined in each of the Noether gauge symmetry classes of the pp-wave spacetimes. It is shown that a type N pp-wave spacetime can admit at most three Noether gauge symmetry, and furthermore the number of Noether gauge symmetries turn out to be four, five, six, seven and eight. We found that all conformally flat plane wave spacetimes admit the maximal, i.e. 10, Noether gauge symmetry. Also it is found that if the pp-wave spacetime is non-conformally flat plane wave, then the number of Noether gauge symmetry is nine or 10. By means of the obtained Noether constants the search of the exact solutions of the geodesic equations for the pp-wave spacetimes is considered and we found new exact solutions of the geodesic equations in some special Noether gauge symmetry classes.