2000/05/24 by S. Sonego, Sebastiano Sonego, J. Almergren +3 · 1 citation
Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Black Holes and Theoretical Physics #Black hole (networking) #Black hole information paradox #Classical mechanics #Computer science #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #Formalism (music) #General relativity #Geometry #Gravitation #Gravitational collapse #Gravitational field #Gravitational wave #Hawking radiation #Mathematics #Micro black hole #Physics #Quantum #Quantum Electrodynamics and Casimir Effect #Quantum field theory in curved spacetime #Quantum gravity #Quantum mechanics #Spacetime #Theoretical physics #Twin paradox #gr-qc
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevd.62.064010
published as Phys.Rev.D62:064010,2000 · 13 pages, 10 figures, aps, revtex, To be published in PRD
arxiv created 2000/05/24 · openalex publication_date 2000/08/04 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
The notion of optical geometry, introduced more than 20 years ago as a formal tool in quantum field theory on a static background, has recently found several applications to the study of physical processes around compact objects. In this paper we define optical geometry for spherically symmetric gravitational collapse, with the purpose of extending the current formalism to physically interesting spacetimes which are not conformally static. The treatment is fully general but, as an example, we also discuss the special case of the Oppenheimer-Snyder model. The analysis of the late-time behavior shows a close correspondence between the structure of optical spacetime for gravitational collapse and that of flat spacetime with an accelerating boundary. Thus, optical geometry provides a natural physical interpretation for derivations of the Hawking effect based on the ``moving mirror analogy.'' Finally, we briefly discuss the issue of back reaction in black hole evaporation and the information paradox from the perspective of optical geometry.