arXiv research

Study improves curvature estimate for stable marginally outer trapped hypersurfaces with a free boundary.

As discussed in the paper, in a matter-filled spacetime, perhaps with positive cosmological constant, a stable marginally outer trapped 2-sphere must satisfy a certain area inquality. Namely, its area must be bounded above by $4π/c$, where $c > 0$ is a lower bound on a natural energy momentum term. In this note we cons…

In a matter-filled spacetime, perhaps with positive cosmological constant, a stable marginally outer trapped 2-sphere must satisfy a certain area inequality. Namely, as discussed in the paper, its area must be bounded above by $4π/c$, where $c > 0$ is a lower bound on a natural energy-momentum term. We then consider th…

Study of mean curvature flow on null hypersurfaces leading to MOTS.

We derive integral and sup-estimates for the curvature of stably marginally outer trapped surfaces in a sliced space-time. The estimates bound the shear of a marginally outer trapped surface in terms of the intrinsic and extrinsic curvature of a slice containing the surface. These estimates are well adapted to situatio…

In this article we investigate the restrictions imposed by the dominant energy condition (DEC) on the topology and conformal type of \textsl{possibly non-compact} marginally outer-trapped surfaces (thus extending Hawking's classical theorem on the topology of black holes). We first prove that an unbounded, stable margi…

We introduce a natural generalization of marginally outer trapped surfaces, called immersed marginally outer trapped surfaces, and prove that three dimensional asymptotically flat initial data sets either contain such surfaces or are diffeomorphic to R^3. We establish a generalization of the Penrose singularity theorem…

The purpose of the present work is to study (marginally) trapped submanifolds lying in a null hypersurface. Let $(M,g,N)\to\Bm(c)$ be a null hypersurface of a space-time with constant sectional curvature $c$, endowed with a Screen Integrable and Conformal rigging $N$. The (Marginally) Trapped Submanifolds we are intere…

Study proves existence of MOTTs in de Sitter spacetime.

Extends results on marginally outer trapped surfaces to general null expansion.

We derive the Space-Time Positive Mass theorem in arbitrary dimensions, without topological constraints. The main new tools are skin structures and surgeries on minimal and marginally outer trapped hypersurfaces.

We show that any vacuum initial data set containing a marginally outer trapped surface S and satisfying a "no KIDs" condition can be perturbed near S so that S becomes strictly outer trapped in the new vacuum initial data set. This, together with the results in [9], gives a precise sense in which generic initial data c…

Study of hypersurfaces with specific expansion properties.

New method to find surfaces in null cones with constant curvature near black hole indicators.

We solve the Plateau problem for marginally outer trapped surfaces in general Cauchy data sets. We employ the Perron method and tools from geometric measure theory to force and control a blow-up of Jang's equation. Substantial new geometric insights regarding the lower order properties of marginally outer trapped surfa…

Study stability of surfaces in spacetimes, proving new estimates and theorems.

Study stability and rigidity of axisymmetric marginally outer trapped surfaces.

In recent work, the notion of Double Convexity for a foliation of a conical null hypersurface was introduced to give a proof, if satisfied, of the Null Penrose Inequality. Double Convexity constrains the geometry of a Marginally Outer Trapped Surface (MOTS), called a quasi-round MOTS. In the first part of this paper, f…

This note shows surfaces in stable 3D data are bounded by area and diameter.

Marginally outer trapped surfaces are widely considered as the best quasi-local replacements for event horizons of black holes in General Relativity. However, this equivalence is far from being proved, even in stationary and static situations. In this paper we study an important aspect of this equivalence, namely wheth…

In a recent paper (gr-qc/0509107) the author and Rick Schoen obtained a generalization to higher dimensions of a classical result of Hawking concerning the topology of black holes. It was proved that, apart from certain exceptional circumstances, cross sections of the event horizon, in the stationary case, and 'weakly …

We introduce a new geometric evolution equation for hypersurfaces in asymptotically flat spacetime initial data sets, that unites the theory of marginally outer trapped surfaces (MOTS) with the study of inverse mean curvature flow in asymptotically flat Riemannian manifolds. A theory of weak solutions is developed usin…

We show that degenerate horizons exhibit a new trapping effect. Specifically, we obtain a non-degenerate Morawetz estimate for the wave equation in the domain of outer communications of extremal Reissner-Nordstrom up to and including the future event horizon. We show that such an estimate requires 1) a higher degree of…

Rigidity results for initial data sets related to the positive mass theorem.

Study of marginally trapped surfaces in a perturbed Schwarzschild spacetime.

Study shows how charged MOTS restrict spacetime configurations.

In a recent work, Galloway [9] proved a local foliation theorem by MOTSs for a 3-dimensional initial data set $(M,g,K)$ with mean curvature $τ\le0$ in a 4-dimensional spacetime $(\overline M,\overline g)$ when (under suitable assumptions) $M$ has a stable spherical MOTS $Σ$ which achieves an upper bound for the area. H…

Small deformations of marginally outer trapped surfaces (MOTS) are studied by using the stability operator introduced by Andersson-Mars-Simon. Novel formulae for the principal eigenvalue are presented. A characterization of the many marginally outer trapped tubes (MOTT) passing through a given MOTS is given, and the po…

Proves existence of solutions to Einstein constraints with specific boundary conditions and verifies Penrose inequality.

We solve Einstein vacuum equations in a spacetime region up to the "center" of gravitational collapse. Within this region, we construct a sequence of marginally outer trapped surfaces (MOTS) with areas going to zero. These MOTS form a marginally outer trapped tube (apparent horizon). It emerges from a point and is smoo…

The paper studies marginally trapped submanifolds in Lorentzian manifolds under null energy condition.

Let (M, g, k) be an initial data set for the Einstein equations of general relativity. We prove that there exist solutions of the Plateau problem for marginally outer trapped surfaces (MOTSs) that are stable in the sense of MOTSs. This answers a question of G. Galloway and N. O'Murchadha and is an ingredient in the pro…

Paper proves rigidity of initial data sets with boundary and capillary MOTS.

Small deformations of marginally (outer) trapped surfaces are considered by using their stability operator. In the case of spherical symmetry, one can use these deformations on any marginally trapped round sphere to prove several interesting results. The concept of 'core' of a black hole is introduced: it is a minimal …

Study shows instability of certain MOTSs with continuous symmetry.

The paper proves a Penrose inequality involving quasi-local mass and outer trapped surfaces.

A marginally trapped surface in the four-dimensional Minkowski space is a spacelike surface whose mean curvature vector is lightlike at each point. We introduce meridian surfaces of parabolic type as one-parameter systems of meridians of a rotational hypersurface with lightlike axis in Minkowski 4-space and find their …

New positive mass theorems for ALH manifolds with toroidal ends.

In this paper we generalize the main result of [13] in two different situations: in the first case for MOTSs of genus greater than one and, in the second case, for MOTSs of high dimension with negative $σ$-constant. In both cases we obtain a splitting result for the ambient manifold when it contains a stable closed MOT…

We examine some common features of minimal surfaces, nonzero constant mean curvature surfaces and marginally outer trapped surfaces, concerning their stability and rigidity, and consider some applications to Riemannian geometry and general relativity.

Study finds rigid properties of boundary-free hypersurfaces in specific data sets.

In this article we extend several foundational results of the theory of complete minimal surfaces of finite index in the Euclidean space to minimal surfaces in asymptotically flat manifolds and, more generally, to marginally outer-trapped surfaces in initial data sets of General Relativity. We show that if an asymptoti…

A marginally trapped surface in the four-dimensional Minkowski space is a spacelike surface whose mean curvature vector is lightlike at each point. We associate a geometrically determined moving frame field to such a surface and using the derivative formulas for this frame field we obtain seven invariant functions. Our…

Generic singularities found in spacetimes with weakly trapped submanifolds.

We establish a class of area-angular momentum-charge inequalities satisfied by stable marginally outer trapped surfaces in 5-dimensional minimal supergravity which admit a $U(1)^2$ symmetry. A novel feature is the fact that such surfaces can have the nontrivial topologies $S^1 \times S^2$ and $L(p,q)$. In addition to t…

In a recent paper, Eichmair, Galloway and Pollack have proved a Gannon-Lee-type singularity theorem based on the existence of marginally outer trapped surfaces (MOTS) on noncompact initial data sets for globally hyperbolic spacetimes. This result requires that the MOTS be generic in a suitable sense. In the same spirit…

Proves properties of free boundary stable MOTS in spacetimes.

Reviewed and extended Wang-Yau quasi-local mass definitions.