How much negative energy does a wormhole need?

TL;DR

This paper investigates the amount of negative energy density required for traversable wormholes, providing a local analysis that applies to dynamic, non-symmetric wormholes without assuming specific symmetries.

Contribution

It introduces a local, symmetry-independent method to determine the negative energy needed for wormholes, including dynamic and non-degenerate cases.

Findings

Identifies two independent energy constraints from Einstein's equations.

Provides a framework for analyzing negative energy in non-symmetric wormholes.

Applicable to dynamic wormhole models without symmetry assumptions.

Abstract

It is known that traversible wormholes require negative energy density. We here argue how much negative energy is needed for wormholes, using a local analysis which does not assume any symmetry. and in particular allows dynamic (non-stationary) but non-degenerate wormholes. We find that wormholes require two constraints on the energy density, given by two independent components of the Einstein equation.