Black Hole Singularities: A Numerical Approach

The singularity structure of charged spherical collapse is studied by considering the evolution of the gravity--scalar-field system. A detailed examination of the geometry at late times strongly suggests the validity of the mass-inflation scenario [E. Poisson and W. Israel, Phys. Rev. D 41, 1796 (1990)]. Although the area of the two-spheres remains finite at the Cauchy horizon, its generators are eventually focused to zero radius. Thus the null, mass-inflation singularity generally precedes a crushing r0ex0ex=0ex0ex0 singularity deep inside the black hole core. This central singularity is spacelike.