Asymptotically flat radiative space-times with boost-rotation symmetry: The general structure

This paper deals for the first time with boost-rotation-symmetric space-times from a unified point of view. Boost-rotation-symmetric space-times are the only explicitly known exact solutions of the Einstein vacuum field equations which describe moving singularities or black holes, are radiative and asymptotically flat in the sense that they admit global, though not complete, smooth null infinity, as well as spacelike and timelike infinities. They very likely represent the exterior fields of uniformly accelerated sources in general relativity and may serve as tests of various approximation methods, as nontrivial illustrations of the theory of the asymptotic structure of radiative space-times, and as test beds in numerical relativity. Examples are the $C$-metric or the solutions of Bonnor and Swaminarayan. The space-times are defined in a geometrical manner and their global properties are studied in detail, in particular their asymptotic structure. It is demonstrated how one can construct any asymptotically flat boost-rotation-symmetric space-time starting from the boost-rotation-symmetric solution of the flat-space wave equation. The problem of uniformly accelerated sources in special relativity is also discussed. The radiative properties and specific examples of the boost-rotation-symmetric space-times will be analyzed in a following paper.