Gravitational collapse: A case for thermal relaxation

TL;DR

This paper investigates how thermal relaxation processes affect the evolution and final state of relativistic collapsing spheres, showing that relaxation time can determine whether the sphere bounces or collapses.

Contribution

It introduces two relativistic models incorporating pre-relaxation processes and demonstrates the significant impact of relaxation time on collapse outcomes.

Findings

Relaxation time influences the collapse or bounce of the sphere.

Relaxation processes can drastically alter the final state of collapse.

Models show the critical role of thermal relaxation in relativistic collapse.

Abstract

Two relativistic models for collapsing spheres at different stages of evolution, which include pre-relaxation processes, are presented. The influence of relaxation time on the outcome of evolution in both cases is exhibited and established. It is shown that relaxation processes can drastically change the final state of the collapsing system. In particular, there are cases in which the value of the relaxation time determines the bounce or the collapse of the sphere.