Marginally trapped tubes and dynamical horizons

TL;DR

This paper studies the behavior of marginally trapped tubes in black hole spacetimes, showing they can evolve in different ways depending on matter conditions, with implications for horizon dynamics.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of the possible evolutions of marginally trapped tubes in spherically symmetric collapse scenarios, highlighting conditions for different horizon behaviors.

Findings

Marginally trapped tubes can be null, timelike, or spacelike.

Their cross-sectional areas can expand or contract.

Matter conditions determine the horizon evolution type.

Abstract

We investigate the generic behaviour of marginally trapped tubes (roughly time-evolved apparent horizons) using simple, spherically symmetric examples of dust and scalar field collapse/accretion onto pre-existing black holes. We find that given appropriate physical conditions the evolution of the marginally trapped tube may be either null, timelike, or spacelike and further that the marginally trapped two-sphere cross-sections may either expand or contract in area. Spacelike expansions occur when the matter falling into a black hole satisfies $\rho - P \leq 1/A$, where $A$ is the area of the horizon while $\rho$ and $P$ are respectively the density and pressure of the matter. Timelike evolutions occur when $(\rho - P)$ is greater than this cut-off and so would be expected to be more common for large black holes. Physically they correspond to horizon "jumps" as extreme conditions force the formation of new horizons outside of the old.