Quantum resolution of black hole singularities

TL;DR

This paper develops a quantum theory of spherically symmetric spacetimes with scalar fields, demonstrating that quantum effects can resolve classical black hole singularities.

Contribution

It introduces a new quantisation approach using Painleve-Gullstrand coordinates and constructs operators that show singularities are avoided in the quantum regime.

Findings

Black hole singularities are resolved in the quantum theory.

Explicit operators for curvature are constructed.

Quantum effects prevent classical singularities.

Abstract

We study the classical and quantum theory of spherically symmetric spacetimes with scalar field coupling in general relativity. We utilise the canonical formalism of geometrodynamics adapted to the Painleve-Gullstrand coordinates, and present a new quantisation of the resulting field theory. We give an explicit construction of operators that capture curvature properties of the spacetime and use these to show that the black hole curvature singularity is avoided in the quantum theory.