English

Asymptotically flat black holes with a singular Cauchy horizon and a spacelike singularity

General Relativity and Quantum Cosmology 2026-03-24 v2 Mathematical Physics Analysis of PDEs Differential Geometry math.MP

Abstract

In our recent work [Van de Moortel, The coexistence of null and spacelike singularities inside spherically symmetric black holes], we analyzed the transition between null and spacelike singularities in spherically symmetric dynamical black holes and demonstrated that the spacelike portion is described by a Kasner metric with positive varying exponents that degenerate to (1,0,0)(1,0,0) near the null-spacelike transition. In the present paper, we provide examples of global spacetimes satisfying the assumptions of this previous result and apply its analysis to obtain a large class of asymptotically flat (spherically symmetric) black hole spacetimes that exhibit coexisting null and spacelike singularities. Our main results include: _The construction of one-ended asymptotically flat black hole spacetimes solving the Einstein-Maxwell-charged-scalar-field equations. The proof relies on a new spacelike-characteristic gluing method between any uncharged spherically symmetric solution and the event horizon of a charged dynamical black hole. _The construction of a large class of two-ended asymptotically flat black hole spacetimes solving the Einstein-Maxwell-(uncharged)-scalar-field equations. In both cases, we show that the terminal boundary in the black hole interior only has two distinct components: a weakly singular (null) Cauchy horizon CHi+\mathcal{CH}_{i^+} where curvature blows up and a strong singularity S={r=0}\mathcal{S}=\{r=0\}. Our construction provides the first examples of black holes with coexisting null and spacelike singularities. These examples hold particular significance in the one-ended case as a model of gravitational collapse, where this phenomenon is conjecturally generic for the Einstein-scalar-field model, even beyond spherical symmetry.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2510.07431,
  title  = {Asymptotically flat black holes with a singular Cauchy horizon and a spacelike singularity},
  author = {Maxime Van de Moortel},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2510.07431},
  year   = {2026}
}

Comments

72 pages, 18 figures. Version 2 additionally includes a more quantitative version of the gluing results