New exact solution for the exterior gravitational field of a spinning mass

An exact asymptotically flat solution of the vacuum Einstein equations representing the exterior gravitational field of a stationary axisymmetric mass with an arbitrary mass-multipole structure is presented. In the absence of rotation, the solution obtained reduces to a new general static axisymmetric asymptotically flat vacuum metric in which the gravitational multipoles are superimposed on the Schwarzschild solution. (B.J.)