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Spacetime Singularities

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Springer Handbook of Spacetime

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Abstract

We give here an overview of our basic understanding of and recent developments in spacetime singularities in the Einstein theory of gravity. Several issues related to physical significance and implications of singularities are discussed. The nature and existence of singularities are considered which indicate the formation of super ultra-dense regions in the universe as predicted by the general theory of relativity. Such singularities develop during the gravitational collapse of massive stars and in cosmology at the origin of the universe. Possible astrophysical implications of the occurrence of singularities in the spacetime universe are indicated. We discuss in some detail the profound and key fundamental issues that the singularities give rise to, such as the cosmic censorship and predictability in the universe, naked singularities in gravitational collapse and their relevance in black hole physics today, and their astrophysical implications in modern relativistic astrophysics and cosmology.

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Abbreviations

FRW:

Friedmann–Robertson–Walker

LIGO:

Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory

SKA:

Square-Kilometer Array

VIRGO:

variability irradiance and gravity oscillations

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Homi Bhabha Road, 400005, Mumbai, India

    Pankaj S. Joshi

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  1. Pankaj S. Joshi
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Correspondence to Pankaj S. Joshi .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Pennsylvania State University, 16802, University Park, PA, USA

    Abhay Ashtekar

  2. Institute for Foundational Studies Hermann Minkowski, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    Vesselin Petkov

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Joshi, P.S. (2014). Spacetime Singularities. In: Ashtekar, A., Petkov, V. (eds) Springer Handbook of Spacetime. Springer Handbooks. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-41992-8_20

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-41992-8_20

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