Black holes without singularities (Q1123429)

By a conformal modification of the Gödel universe the author constructs a chronology-violating four-dimensional space-time having the following properties: 1. \(Ric(x,y)>0\) for all nonzero-future-directed causal vectors x and y; 2. all endless causal geodesics are complete; 3. there exists a closed trapped surface. This shows that collapse scenarios can avoid singularities if chronology violation is allowed. The converse is described by Theorem 2.1: Any causal geodesically complete space-time satisfying the null convergence and generic conditions, and containing a closed trapped surface, must violate the chronology condition. Moreover, all closed trapped surfaces and chronology violations are confined to black holes; weak cosmic censorship must hold in the sense that the region of the space-time visible from infinity is globally hyperbolic.