NOTE

Black hole formation by incoming electromagnetic

radiation
José M M Senovilla1
arXiv:1408.2778v2 [gr-qc] 18 Aug 2014

1
Fı́sica Teórica, Universidad del Paı́s Vasco, Apartado 644, 48080 Bilbao, Spain
E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract. I revisit a known solution of the Einstein field equations to show that
it describes the formation of non-spherical black holes by the collapse of pure
electromagnetic monochromatic radiation. Both positive and negative masses are
feasible without ever violating the dominant energy condition. The solution can also
be used to model the destruction of naked singularities and the evaporation of white
holes by emission or reception of light.

PACS numbers: 04.70.Bw, 04.40.Nr, 04.20.Jb

Today there are many models describing the formation, or the evaporation, of black
holes in General Relativity, some of them deal with the collapse of matter or fluids, others
with out- or in-coming “incoherent radiation”. However, there is no identified case of the
formation/evaporation of a black hole by means of electromagnetic radiation solely. The
purpose of this sort Note is to call attention to a family of solutions which describe the
formation/destruction of black holes (also naked singularities) by reception or emission
of pure monochromatic light. Actually, the solution is known since long ago, and has
been used to describe the collapse of null dust to non-spherical black holes with negative
cosmological constant [13, 14], and to analyze the first example of a dynamical horizon
with toroidal topology [5]. However, the fundamental point is that the radiation can
be properly identified as monochromatic light —it should not be treated as “incoherent
radiation”.
The line-element of the solution was first presented —among many other exact
solutions— by Robinson and Trautman in their celebrated paper [22], and is given in
local coordinates {u, r, x, y} by (see also [24], p.430)
 
2 2 2 2 2m(v) Λ 2
ds = r (dx + dy ) + 2dvdr + + r dv 2 (1)
r 3
where r > 0,  = ±1 determines the retarded ( = −1) or advanced ( = 1) character of
the null coordinate v, k = −dv is a null one-form chosen to be future pointing, Λ is the
cosmological constant (allowed to have any sign) and m(v) is a function of v.
The metric (1) is a solution of the Einstein-Maxwell equations with Λ for a null
electromagnetic field given by
F = dv ∧ (hx (v)dx + hy (v)dy) (2)
Black hole formation by electromagnetic radiation 2

so that k is the wave vector of this pure radiation field. Here, hx (v) and hy (v) are
arbitrary functions. An appropriate observer with unit timelike tangent vector ~u
orthogonal to the {x, y} surfaces and with uµ kµ = −1 will measure electric E and a
magnetic B fields given by

E = hx (v)dx + hy (v)dy, B = hy (v)dx − hx (v)dy .

Therefore, by choosing the functions hx , hy judiciously one can describe light that is
linearly polarized (e.g. hy = 0), circularly polarized (e.g. hx = A cos v, hy = A sin v), or
elliptically polarized.
The energy-momentum tensor of the electromagnetic radiation reads
h2x (v) + h2y (v)
Tµν = kµ kν (3)
r2
from where one determines the function m(v) on the line-element (1):
4πG v 2
Z
m(v) =  4 [hx (w) + h2y (w)]dw + M (4)
c v0

where v0 is a fixed value of v and M = m(v0 ) is an integration constant (v0 can be −∞).
The energy-momentum tensor (3) always satisfies the dominant energy condition, and
we have
4πG
ṁ(v) =  4 [h2x (v) + h2y (v)]
c
where dots denote derivatives with respect to v, so that the function m(v) is non-
decreasing for  = 1 and non-increasing for  = −1. Observe that M can have any
sign.
The metric (1) is the unique Petrov type D solution of the Einstein-Maxwell
equations with a null electromagnetic field [25]. It must be remarked that there exists
no analogue solution in higher dimensions [21].
The space-time has three independent Killing vectors in general given by
{∂x , ∂y , y∂x − x∂y }, the corresponding isometry group acts transitively on spacelike 2-
dimensional surfaces spanned by {∂x , ∂y }. Thus, the third Killing vector is an isotropy.
There is also a Kerr-Schild vector field [4] ξ~ = ∂v satisfying
2ṁ
£ξ~gµν = kµ kν £ξ~kµ = 0 . (5)
r
This vector field is analogous to the Kodama vector field in spherically symmetric
spacetimes [10, 1]. The electromagnetic field inherits the symmetry {∂x , ∂y } but not
the isotropy:
 
£y∂x −x∂y F = dv ∧ (hy dx − hx dy), £ξ~F = dv ∧ ḣx dx + ḣy dy .

Observe that the Kerr-Schild vector field is a symmetry of the electromagnetic field
whenever hx , hy are both constant, in which case the function m(v) is linear in v.
The surfaces of transitivity, defined by constant values of v and r, can describe (i)
flat tori if one identifies x ↔ x + a and y ↔ y + b, in which case they are compact
Black hole formation by electromagnetic radiation 3

with an area equal to abr2 ; (ii) flat cylinders if only one of the previous identifications
is performed; and (iii) flat planes when −∞ < x, y < ∞. The mean curvature one-form
[11, 1] for these surfaces is simply H = dr from where their two future null expansions
can be easily extracted
 
2m(v) Λ 2
θ1 = −, θ2 = − + r .
r 3

Hence, the surfaces of transitivity are trapped if and only if 2m/r + Λr2 /3 > 0. They
are future- or past-trapped for  = 1 or −1, respectively. Notice that the transitivity
surfaces are always trapped for large enough r if Λ > 0 (de Sitter behavior at infinity),
and for small enough r if m(v) > 0 independently of the sign of Λ. Actually, they are
always trapped in the region with m(v) > 0 if Λ = 0. For Λ < 0, the transitivity surfaces
are trapped only in the region with 2m(v) > −Λr3 /3 > 0 if this exists, and they can
never be trapped for large enough r (anti-de Sitter behavior).
The hypersurface defined by
Λ
H : 2m(v) + r3 = 0 (6)
3
(if this is feasible) is a marginally trapped tube, that is, a hypersurface foliated by
marginally trapped surfaces. Observe that H exists for Λ > 0, = 0 or < 0 only if m(v)
is negative, zero or positive, respectively, somewhere. One can easily compute the causal
character of H: it is non-spacelike if Λ > 0 and actually timelike or null whenever ṁ 6= 0
or ṁ = 0 respectively; non-timelike if Λ < 0 with null portions wherever ṁ = 0 and
spacelike parts where ṁ 6= 0, in the last case these parts are dynamical horizons [5]; if
Λ = 0 it is given by the null hypersurfaces v = v̂ such that m(v̂) = 0.
There is a curvature singularity at r → 0 unless m(v) = 0 (in which case there is no
electromagnetic radiation). This particular case with m(v) = 0 has constant curvature
Λ/3, so that the metric represents a region of de Sitter, flat, or anti-de Sitter space-time
depending on the sign of Λ. In these cases r = 0 is actually a horizon through which the
metric is extendible. Black holes in anti-de Sitter space-time obtained by identification
along one symmetry generator were deeply analyzed in [6]. Other interesting particular
cases arise if the electromagnetic radiation is absent (hx = hy = 0) but we retain a
non-vanishing constant m(v) = M 6= 0. These are metrics describing planar, cylindrical
or toroidal black holes when Λ < 0, and have been largely studied in the literature
[7, 12, 3, 15, 17, 26, 9]. These cases, as follows from (5), have ξ~ as another Killing vector,
so that they are stationary outside H which is a Killing horizon in this situation. One
can check [7, 12, 3, 15, 17, 26, 9] that then m(v) = M is proportional to the mass in the
toroidal case, to mass per unit length in the cylindrical case, and to mass per unit area
in the planar case. Therefore, negative values of m(v) can be interpreted, at least when
Λ < 0, as negative values of the mass. Black holes with negative mass were discussed in
[16], but the remarkable thing about solution (1) is that the dominant energy condition
holds everywhere. This may be related to recent discussions on similar situations in de
Sitter backgrounds [2, 19]. When Λ = 0 but keeping m(v) = M the metric can be seen
Black hole formation by electromagnetic radiation 4

to be isometric to the Kasner space-time [24] with exponents p1 = p2 = 2/3, p3 = −1/3

if M > 0, and isometric to the plane-symmetric Taub solution [24] if M < 0.
The collapse to form non-spherical stationary black holes with a constant m(v) = M
and Λ < 0 has been studied in several papers, such as for instance in [23] where the
toroidal case treated herein was not explicitly considered but was later carried out in
[20]. In this reference [20], the collapse of perfect fluids describing anisotropic, as well
as spatially inhomogeneous, interiors was fully described by matching these interiors to
an exterior (1) with constant m(v) = M . A collapse by matching was also considered
in [13], where the dynamical metric (1) was studied without realizing that the incoming
flow of radiation is actually a null electromagnetic field, but this matching is incorrect.‡
The point I want to make in this sort Note is that the metric (1) describes,
appropriately, the generation of black holes by collapse of fully identified matter content:
pure electromagnetic monochromatic waves with a well defined polarization. And there
is no need for a matching procedure. Actually, this is just one situation of interest
among a rich family of different behaviors that can be properly represented by (1).
Some outstanding cases are enumerated and briefly analyzed next.

1. Formation of a toroidal, cylindrical or planar black hole by sending light into an

anti-de Sitter background By choosing Λ < 0,  = 1 and letting hx (v) = hy (v) = 0 for
all v < v0 the function m(v) = M is constant for all v < v0 . When M is set to zero
then the space-time is anti-de Sitter in this entire region. If light is then sent into the
space-time by letting hx (v), hy (v) to be non-zero in the interval v0 ≤ v ≤ v1 , a black hole
enclosing a future singularity censored by an event horizon forms with a final constant
m(v) = Mf > 0 given by
4πG v1 2
Z
Mf = 4 [hx (v) + h2y (v)]dv . (7)
c v0

A Penrose-like diagram of this example is given in figure 1.

2. Transformation of a naked singularity into a black hole enclosing a clothed singularity

by sending light into the former When M is not set to zero but rather is a negative
constant in the previous situation, the space-time has a naked timelike singularity at
r = 0 for all v ≤ v0 . Sending light again as before, and assuming that
4πG v1 2
Z
Mf = 4 [hx (v) + h2y (v)]dv + M (8)
c v0

is strictly positive, the singularity at r = 0 transmutes into a spacelike one clothed by

an event horizon which merges with the dynamical horizon H. An illustrative diagram
is presented in Figure 2. Similar situations arise for Λ > 0 and Λ = 0, but now without
‡ In [13] the metric (1) is claimed to be matched to an interior Robertson-Walker metric for dust.
However, this is impossible, as the Israel conditions [8, 18] for a matching would require that the
normal components of the energy momentum tensor be continuous at the matching hypersurface, and
this cannot happen with a dust on one side and (3) on the other side.
Black hole formation by electromagnetic radiation 5

r = 0 singularity
0 H
= E
r
v
H =
v
1

AdS

EH J

v
v

=
=

v0
−
∞
AdS

Figure 1. Schematic diagram of the formation of a toroidal (cylindrical or planar)

black hole by sending light into an anti-de Sitter (AdS) background. As usual, null
radial lines are drawn at 45o and the future direction is upwards. The spacetime
is AdS until monochromatic light enters from J (an infinity that is timelike) at
v = v0 and flows along null hypersurfaces until it ceases at v = v1 . Thus, the shaded
region contains a non-vanishing energy-momentum content due to the electromagnetic
radiation solely. In the AdS part, the null hypersurfaces labeled as r = 0 and v = −∞
are horizons through which the space-time can be regularly extended. The spacetime
has a final mass proportional to Mf in (7). When the first photon reaches the r = 0-
horizon a dynamical horizon H develops that eventually (at v = v1 ) merges with the
event horizon EH of the black hole, which encloses a future spacelike singularity r = 0.
Observe that EH starts developing in the AdS region.

the formation of event horizons; in the former case there is a marginally trapped tube
H which is partly null and partly timelike but not in the latter. Moreover, in the former
case there is a past infinity J − which is spacelike while in the latter it is null.

3. Annihilation of a naked singularity by sending a fine-tuned amount of light Under

the same assumptions as in the previous case, if M < 0 and hx (v), hy (v) are fine tuned
together with v1 − v0 such that the final Mf in (8) vanishes, the original timelike naked
singularity simply disappears and the final outcome is a portion of anti-de Sitter , de
Sitter, or flat space-time for negative, positive or vanishing Λ, respectively. The case
with Λ > 0 is the only one containing future trapped surfaces and a marginally trapped
tube H —which in this case is non-spacelike everywhere. Corresponding diagrams are
Black hole formation by electromagnetic radiation 6

r = 0 singularity
v H
= E
v
1

r=
v
=
v̂

0 si
EH v

J
ngu
=
v
0

lari
ty

Figure 2. Schematic diagram of the transmutation of a naked singularity into a

clothed one of a toroidal (cylindrical or planar) black hole by sending light into the
former. The spacetime has a naked timelike singularity at r = 0 with negative
m(v) = M until monochromatic light enters from infinity J at v = v0 and flows
along null hypersurfaces until it ceases at v = v1 , so the shaded region contains
electromagnetic radiation solely. The spacetime has a final mass proportional to
Mf > 0 given in (8) and therefore there is a value v = v̂ where m(v̂) = 0. When
the photons traveling along this hypersurface v = v̂ reach the naked singularity —as
shown— a dynamical horizon H develops that eventually (at v = v1 ) merges with the
event horizon EH of the black hole, enclosing a future spacelike singularity r = 0.

given in figure 3.

4. Time reversals By setting  = −1 in (1) one describes situations where the

electromagnetic radiation is emitted outwardly towards the future; observe that now
ṁ ≤ 0. Then, for instance, models for the evaporation of a white hole by pure emission
of light leading to anti-de Sitter space-time arise: this is simply the time reversal of
1. and the corresponding diagram is the same as in figure 1 but turned upside down.
Similarly, one can model the appearance of a naked timelike singularity in vacuum (with
arbitrary Λ) by spontaneous emission of photons. Again, these are the time reversals of
3. and the corresponding diagrams are the same as in figure 3 interchanging future and
past.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to I. Bengtsson for bringing [6] to my attention. Supported by grants FIS2010-

15492 (MICINN), GIU12/15 (Gobierno Vasco), P09-FQM-4496 (J. Andalucı́a—
FEDER) and UFI 11/55 (UPV/EHU).
Black hole formation by electromagnetic radiation 7

0
=
r

0 v
AdS = =
r ∞
0
= flat
r

r = 0 singularity
v
=
v̂

J
=

v
r=

v1

v =
r = 0 singularity

=
v̂
v
v
0 si

0
=
dS = v
ngu

∞ 1
lari

H v
=
−
ty

v
v 0
=
v̂
=
J
v v1
H =
v
0

J−

Figure 3. Diagrams of the complete annihilation of naked timelike singularities leading

to a constant-curvature space-time. As in the previous figure, the spacetime has a
naked timelike singularity at r = 0 with negative m(v) = M until monochromatic light
enters from infinity J at v = v0 and stops flowing in at v = v1 = v̂ with m(v̂) = 0, so
the shaded regions contain only electromagnetic radiation. The spacetimes possess a
final vanishing mass (m(v) = 0 for all v > v̂) and therefore they become anti-de Sitter,
de Sitter or flat spacetimes according to whether Λ is negative, positive or vanishing.
These three cases are shown in that order from left to right. In the last two cases
the null hypersurface marked by v = ∞ is a regular horizon and the metric can be
extended beyond them. In all three cases the null hypersurfaces labeled as r = 0 are
horizons through which the space-time can be regularly extended too. A marginally
trapped tube H which is partly null and then timelike exists only in the case with
Λ > 0, as shown.

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