Skip to main content
Log in

Does a cosmic censor exist?

  • Part II. Invited Papers Dedicated To Nathan Rosen
  • Published:
Foundations of Physics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A distinction is drawn between the event horizon conjecture (EHC), the conjecture that an event horizon forms in a gravitational collapse, and cosmic censorship, the idea that every singularity which develops in the course of collapse must be enclosed within a horizon. It is argued that a body of circumstantial evidence seems to favor EHC, but cosmic censorship seems contraindicated.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. J. R. Oppenheimer and H. Snyder,Phys. Rev. 56, 455 (1939).

    Google Scholar 

  2. S. W. Hawking,J. Gen. Rel. Grav. 10, 959 (1979).

    Google Scholar 

  3. R. Penrose,Riv. Nuovo Ciment. 1, 252 (1969).

    Google Scholar 

  4. K. S. Thorne, inMagic without Magic, J. R. Klauder, ed. (W. H. Freeman, San Francisco, 1972), pp. 231–258.

    Google Scholar 

  5. R. Penrose,Phys. Rev. Lett. 14, 57 (1965).

    Google Scholar 

  6. R. Penrose, inTheoretical Principles in Astrophysics and General Relativity, N. R. Lebovitz, W. H. Reid, and P. O. Vandervoort, eds. (University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 1978), pp. 217–243.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Comments by R. Penrose and by R. Geroch and G. T. Horowitz, inGeneral Relativity: An Einstein Centenary Survey, S. W. Hawking and W. Israel, eds. (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1979), pp. 617–629, 266–289.

    Google Scholar 

  8. F. J. Tipler, C. J. S. Clarke, and G. F. R. Ellis, “Singularities and Horizons: A Review Article,” inGeneral Relativity and Gravitation, A. Held, ed. (Plenum Press, New York, 1980), pp. 97–206.

    Google Scholar 

  9. V. Moncrief and D. M. Eardley,J. Gen. Rel. Grav. 13, 887 (1981); V. Moncrief,J. Gen. Rel. Grav. 15, 309 (1983).

    Google Scholar 

  10. A. Tomimatsu and H. Sato,Progr. Theor. Phys. Suppl. 70, 215 (1981).

    Google Scholar 

  11. H. J. Seifert, inProceedings of the Ninth International Conference on General Relativity and Gravitation, E. Schmutzer, ed. (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1983), pp. 133–147.

    Google Scholar 

  12. C. Leibovitz and W. Israel,Phys. Rev. D1, 3226 (1970); C. W. Misner, inAstrophysics and General Relativity, M. Chretien, S. Deser, and J. Goldstein, eds. (Gordon and Breach, New York, 1969), Vol. 1, p. 189.

    Google Scholar 

  13. W. Israel and J. M. Nester,Phys. Lett. 85A, 259 (1981); M. Ludvigsen and J. Vickers,J. Phys. A15, L67 (1982); G. Horowitz and M. J. Perry,Phys. Rev. Lett. 48, 371 (1982); G. W. Gibbons, S. W. Hawking, G. Horowitz, and M. J. Perry,Commun. Math. Phys. 88, 295 (1983); O. Reula and K. P. Tod,J. Math. Phys. 25, 1004 (1984).

    Google Scholar 

  14. E. Witten,Commun. Math. Phys. 80, 381 (1981); J. M. Nester,Phys. Lett. 83A, 241 (1981).

    Google Scholar 

  15. P. S. Jang and R. M. Wald,J. Math. Phys. 18, 41 (1977).

    Google Scholar 

  16. V. de la Cruz, J. E. Chase, and W. Israel,Phys. Rev. Lett. 24, 423 (1970); R. H. Price,Phys. Rev. D5, 2419 (1972).

    Google Scholar 

  17. S. W. Hawking and G. F. R. Ellis,The Large Scale Structure of Space-Time (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1973), Chap. 9.

    Google Scholar 

  18. G. W. Gibbons,Commun. Math. Phys. 27, 87 (1972).

    Google Scholar 

  19. M. Ludvigsen and J. A. G. Vickers,J. Phys. A 16, 3349 (1983).

    Google Scholar 

  20. M. Simpson and R. Penrose,Int. J. Theor. Phys. 7, 183 (1973); J. M. McNamara,Proc. Roy. Soc. A358, 499 (1978) andA364, 121 (1978); S. Chandrasekhar and J. B. Hartle,Proc. Roy. Soc. A384, 301 (1983).

    Google Scholar 

  21. P. Yodzis, H. J. Seifert, and H. Müller zum Hagen,Commun. Math. Phys. 34, 135 (1973) and37, 29 (1974); D. Christodoulou,Commun. Math. Phys. 93, 171 (1984).

    Google Scholar 

  22. A. Krolak,J. Gen. Rel. Grav. 15, 99 (1983) and16, 365 (1984); R. P. A. C. Newman,J. Gen. Rel. Grav. 16, 175 (1984).

    Google Scholar 

  23. D. Christodoulou, Report at Tenth International Conference on General Relativity and Gravitation, Padua, 1983 (unpublished).

  24. B. Steinmüller, A. R. King, and J. P. Lasota,Phys. Lett. 51A, 191 (1975); K. Lake and C. Hellaby,Phys. Rev. D24, 3019 (1981); Y. Kuroda,Prog. Theor. Phys. 72, 63 (1984).

    Google Scholar 

  25. R. Schoen and S. T. Yau,Commun. Math. Phys. 90, 575 (1983).

    Google Scholar 

  26. S. W. Hawking,J. Math. Phys. 9, 598 (1968); R. Penrose,Proc. Roy. Soc. A381, 53 (1982); G. T. Horowitz and A. Strominger,Phys. Rev. D27, 2793 (1983).

    Google Scholar 

  27. J. M. Nester, Positive energy via a teleparallel Hamiltonian, Essay submitted to Gravity Research Foundation, 1984.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

Work partially supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Israel, W. Does a cosmic censor exist?. Found Phys 14, 1049–1059 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01882488

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01882488

Keywords

Navigation