Cosmic Censorship: the Role of Quantum Physics

TL;DR

This paper argues that cosmic censorship, a key hypothesis in classical general relativity, is fundamentally a quantum phenomenon, with quantum physics potentially enforcing the conjecture through a gedanken experiment.

Contribution

It introduces a thought experiment showing classical violations of cosmic censorship and demonstrates that quantum physics restores its validity, suggesting quantum gravity enforces the conjecture.

Findings

Classical general relativity allows apparent violations of cosmic censorship.

Quantum physics restores the validity of cosmic censorship.

Quantum gravity may be necessary to fully uphold the conjecture.

Abstract

The cosmic censorship hypothesis introduced by Penrose thirty years ago is still one of the most important open questions in {\it classical} general relativity. The main goal of this paper is to put forward the idea that cosmic censorship is intrinsically a {\it quantum} phenomena. We construct a gedanken experiment which seems to violate the cosmic censorship principle within the purely {\it classical} framework of general relativity. We prove, however, that {\it quantum} physics restores the validity of the conjecture. It is therefore suggested that cosmic censorship might be enforced by a quantum theory of gravity.