Skip to main content
Article
Testing cosmic censorship with black hole collisions
Physics Review D
  • D Brill
  • G Horowitz
  • David Kastor, University of Massachusetts - Amherst
  • Jennie Traschen, University of Massachusetts - Amherst
Publication Date
1994
Abstract

There exists an upper limit on the mass of black holes when the cosmological constant Λ is positive. We study the collision of two black holes whose total mass exceeds this limit. Our investigation is based on a recently discovered exact solution describing the collision of Q=M black holes with Λ>0. The global structure of this solution is analyzed. We find that if the total mass is less than the extremal limit, then the black holes coalesce. If it is greater, then a naked singularity forms to the future of a Cauchy horizon. However, the horizon is not smooth. Generically, there is a mild curvature singularity, which still allows geodesics to be extended. The implications of these results for cosmic censorship are discussed.

Comments
This is the pre-published version harvested from ArXiv. The published version is located at http://prd.aps.org/abstract/PRD/v49/i2/p840_1
Pages
840-852
Citation Information
D Brill, G Horowitz, David Kastor and Jennie Traschen. "Testing cosmic censorship with black hole collisions" Physics Review D Vol. 49 Iss. 2 (1994)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/david_kastor/1/