A perfect-fluid space-time of dimension n ≥ 4, with (1) irrotational velocity vector field and (2) null divergence of the Weyl tensor, is a generalised Robertson-Walker space-time with an Einstein fiber. Condition (1) is verified whenever pressure and energy density are related by an equation of state. The contraction of the Weyl tensor with the velocity vector field is zero. Conversely, a generalized Robertson-Walker space-time with null divergence of the Weyl tensor is a perfect-fluid space-time.

This paper deals with the study of perfect fluid spacetimes. It is proven that a perfect fluid spacetime is Ricci recurrent if and only if the velocity vector field of perfect fluid spacetime is parallel and α = β. In addition, in a stiff matter perfect fluid Yang pure space with p + σ ≠ 0, the integral curves generated by the velocity vector field are geodesics. Moreover, it is shown that in a generalized Robertson–Walker perfect fluid spacetime, the Weyl tensor is divergence-free and the gradient of the potential function of the concircular vector field is pointwise collinear with the velocity vector field of perfect fluid spacetime. We also characterize the perfect fluid spacetimes whose Lorentzian metrics are Yamabe and gradient Yamabe solitons, respectively.

In this article, we investigate perfect fluid spacetimes equipped with concircular vector field. At first, in a perfect fluid spacetime admitting concircular vector field, we prove that the velocity vector field annihilates the conformal curvature tensor. In addition, in dimension 4, we show that a perfect fluid spacetime is a generalized Robertson–Walker spacetime with Einstein fibre. It is proved that if a perfect fluid spacetime furnished with concircular vector field admits a second order symmetric parallel tensor P, then either the equation of state of the perfect fluid spacetime is characterized by $$p=\frac{3-n}{n-1} \sigma $$p = 3 - n n - 1 σ , or the tensor P is a constant multiple of the metric tensor. Finally, The perfect fluid spacetimes with concircular vector field whose Lorentzian metrics are Ricci soliton, gradient Ricci soliton, gradient Yamabe solitons, and gradient m -quasi Einstein solitons, are characterized.