Holography abhors visible trapped surfaces

Journal Article · 11 July 2021 · Journal of High Energy Physics (Online)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/jhep07(2021)066 · OSTI ID:1851675

Engelhardt, Netta ^[1]; Folkestad, Åsmund  ^[2]

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1. Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States). Center for Theoretical Physics; Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)
2. Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States). Center for Theoretical Physics

We prove that consistency of the holographic dictionary implies a hallmark prediction of the weak cosmic censorship conjecture: that in classical gravity, trapped surfaces lie behind event horizons. In particular, the existence of a trapped surface implies the existence of an event horizon, and that furthermore this event horizon must be outside of the trapped surface. More precisely, we show that the formation of event horizons outside of a strong gravity region is a direct consequence of causal wedge inclusion, which is required by entanglement wedge reconstruction. We make few assumptions beyond the absence of evaporating singularities in strictly classical gravity. We comment on the implication that spacetimes with naked trapped surfaces do not admit a holographic dual, note a possible application to holographic complexity, and speculate on the dual CFT interpretation of a trapped surface.

• Research Organization: Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: National Science Foundation (NSF); USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP)
• Grant/Contract Number: SC0012567
• OSTI ID: 1851675
• Journal Information: Journal of High Energy Physics (Online), Journal Name: Journal of High Energy Physics (Online) Journal Issue: 7 Vol. 2021; ISSN 1029-8479
• Publisher: Springer NatureCopyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English