Cosmic Censorship in Higher Dimensions

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that in higher-dimensional spacetimes (D≥6), naked singularities from dust collapse are eliminated, ensuring cosmic censorship and resulting in black hole formation from smooth initial data.

Contribution

It shows that higher dimensions prevent naked singularities in dust collapse, restoring cosmic censorship for smooth initial conditions in D≥6.

Findings

Naked singularities are removed in higher dimensions.

Cosmic censorship is restored in D≥6.

Dust collapse leads to black holes in higher dimensions.

Abstract

We show that the naked singularities arising in dust collapse from smooth initial data (which include those discovered by Eardley and Smarr, Christodoulou, and Newman) are removed when we make transition to higher dimensional spacetimes. The cosmic censorship is then restored for dust collapse which will always produce a black hole as the collapse end state for dimensions $D\ge6$, under conditions to be motivated physically such as the smoothness of initial data from which the collapse develops.