Relativistic gravitational collapse in noncomoving coordinates: The post-quasistatic approximation

Abstract

A general iterative method for the description of evolving self-gravitating relativistic spheres is presented. Modeling is achieved by the introduction of an ansatz whose rationale becomes intelligible and finds full justification within the context of a suitable definition of the post-quasistatic approximation. As examples of the application of the method we discuss three models in the adiabatic case.