The area of horizons and the trapped region (Q1048073)

Trapped and marginally trapped surfaces play a central role in the analysis of space-time geometry. By the singularity theorems of Hawking and Penrose, a space-time which satisfies suitable energy and causality conditions, and which in addition contains a trapped surface, must contain a black hole. Marginally trapped surfaces, or apparent horizons, serve as the quasi-local version of black hole boundary. In numerical general relativity, they are used as excision surfaces for the evolution of black hole initial data, and approximations to physical characteristics of a black hole such as linear and angular momentum can be calculated in terms of data induced on the apparent horizon. In the paper under review, the authors consider certain fundamental questions concerning marginally trapped surfaces, or apparent horizons, in Cauchy data sets for the Einstein equation. An area estimate for outermost marginally trapped surfaces is proved. The proof makes use of an existence result for marginal surfaces, in the presence of barriers, curvature estimates, together with a novel surgery construction for marginal surfaces. These results are applied to characterize the boundary of the trapped region.