Black holes and black hole thermodynamics without event horizons

We investigate whether black holes can be defined without using event horizons. In particular we focus on the thermodynamic properties of event horizons and the alternative, locally defined horizons. We discuss the assumptions and limitations of the proofs of the zeroth, first and second laws of black hole mechanics for both event horizons and trapping horizons. This leads to the possibility that black holes may be more usefully defined in terms of trapping horizons. We also review how Hawking radiation may be seen to arise from trapping horizons and discuss which horizon area should be associated with the gravitational entropy.     

The Kerr metric in cosmological background

A metric satisfying Einstein’s equations is given which in the vicinity of the source reduces to the well-known Kerr metric and which at large distances reduces to the Robertson-Walker metric of a homogeneous cosmological model. The radius of the event horizon of the Kerr black hole in the cosmological background is found out.     

Cosmological black holes: A black hole in the Einstein-de Sitter universe

As an example of a dynamical cosmological black hole, a spacetime that describes an expanding black hole in the asymptotic background of the Einstein-de Sitter universe is constructed. The black hole is primordial in the sense that it forms ab initio with the big bang singularity and its expanding event horizon is represented by a conformal Killing horizon. The metric representing the black hole spacetime is obtained by applying a time dependent conformal transformation on the Schwarzschild metric, such that the result is an exact solution with a matter content described by a two-fluid source. Physical quantities such as the surface gravity and other effects like perihelion precession, light bending and circular orbits are studied in this spacetime and compared to their counterparts in the gravitational field of the isolated Schwarzschild black hole. No changes in the structure of null geodesics are recorded, but significant differences are obtained for timelike geodesics, particularly an increase in the perihelion precession and the non-existence of circular timelike orbits. The solution is expressed in the Newman-Penrose formalism.     

Lifshitz black holes in the Hořava–Lifshitz gravity

We investigate the Lifshitz black holes from the Ho?ava–Lifshitz gravity by comparing with the Lifshitz black hole from the 3D new massive gravity. We note that these solutions all have single horizons. These black holes are very similar to each other when studying their thermodynamics. It is shown that a second order phase transition is unlikely possible to occur between z=3,2$z=3,2$ Lifshitz black holes and z=1$z=1$ Ho?ava black hole.     

Cosmological surrealism: More than “eternal reality” is needed

Inflationary cosmology makes the universe eternal and provides for recurrent universe creation, ad infinitum — making it also plausible to assume that our Big Bang was also preceeded by others, etc.. However, GR tells us that in the parent universe's reference frame, the newborn universe's expansion will never start. Our picture of reality in spacetime has to be enlarged.Wolfson Distinguished Chair in Theoretical Physics.Also on leave from the University of Texas, Center for Particle Physics, Austin, Texas.     

A new cosmological probe using super-massive black hole shadows

We study the prospects of using the low-redshift and high-redshift black hole shadows as new cosmological standard rulers for measuring cosmological parameters.We show that,using the low-redshift observation of the black hole shadow of M87?,the Hubble constant can be independently determined with a precision of about 13%as H0=70±9 km s?1 Mpc?1.The high-redshift observations of super-massive black hole shadows may accurately determine a combination of parameters H0 andΩm,and we show by a simple simulation that combining them with the type Ia supernovae observations would give precise measurements of the cosmological parameters.     

Charged Randall-Sundrum Braneworld Type II with Higher Order Curvature Corrections from Superstring Arguments and Dominated by Quintessence

We discuss a new class of RSII braneworld cosmology exhibiting accelerated expansion and dominated by quintessence. It is explicitly demonstrated that the universe expansion history （transition from inflation to deceleration epoch to acceleration and effective quintessence era） may naturally occur in such unified theory for some classes of inverse scalar potentials. Besides a decaying effective cosmological constant, the model incorporates an increasing black hole mass, an increasing Maxwellian electrical charge with cosmic time and a time-dependent brahe tension. The cosmological model exhibits several features of cosmological and astrophysical interest for both the early and late universe consistent with recent observations, in particular the ones concerned with the gravitational constants, black holes masses and charges and variation of the gauge coupling parameters with cosmic time. One interesting mark of the constructed model concerns the fact that a black hole mass surrounded by quintessence energy may increase with time even if the horizon disappears.