  When two non-interacting plane impulsive gravitational waves undergo a
head-on collision, the vacuum interaction region between the waves after the
collision contains backscattered gravitational radiation from both waves. The
two systems of backscattered waves have each got a family of rays (null
geodesics) associated with them. We demonstrate that if it is assumed that a
parameter exists along each of these families of rays such that the modulus of
the complex shear of each is equal then Einstein's vacuum field equations, with
the appropriate boundary conditions, can be integrated systematically to reveal
the well-known solutions in the interaction region. In so doing the mystery
behind the origin of such solutions is removed. With the use of the field
equations it is suggested that the assumption leading to their integration may
be interpreted physically as implying that the energy densities of the two
backscattered radiation fields are equal. With the use of different boundary
conditions this approach can lead to new collision solutions.
