On the stability of black hole event horizons

TL;DR

This paper investigates the stability of black hole event horizons through a thought experiment involving negative energy matter, revealing a new mechanism that stabilizes horizons and tests fundamental hypotheses in black hole physics.

Contribution

It introduces a novel process involving negative energy matter that demonstrates a stabilizing mechanism for black hole event horizons, challenging existing assumptions.

Findings

A new stabilization mechanism for black hole horizons.

Negative energy matter can influence black hole thermodynamics.

Supports the cosmic censorship hypothesis under specific conditions.

Abstract

In this work we study a {\it gedanken} experiment constructed in order to test the cosmic censorship hypothesis and the second law of black hole thermo-dynamics. Matter with a negative gravitating energy is imagined added to a near extremal $U(1)$-charged static black hole in Einstein-Maxwell theory. The dynamics of a similar process is studied and the thermo-dynamical properties of the resulting black hole structure is discussed. A new mechanism which stabilizes black hole event horizons is shown to operate in such processes.