We study the general properties of axially symmetric dissipative configurations under the shear-free condition. The link between the magnetic part of the Weyl tensor and the vorticity is clearly exhibited, as well as the role of the dissipative fluxes. As a particular case, we examine the geodesic fluid. In this case, the magnetic part of the Weyl tensor always vanishes, suggesting that no gravitational radiation is produced during the evolution. In addition, for the geodesic case, in the absence of dissipation, the system evolves towards a Friedmann-Roberston-Walker spacetime if the expansion scalar is positive.

• Received 13 April 2014

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.89.127502