Role of anisotropic matter in higher-dimensional Vaidya collapse and cosmic censorship conjecture

We investigate the self-similar gravitational collapse of anisotropic matter in higher-dimensional Vaidya spacetimes within the Cosmic Censorship Conjecture (CCC) framework. The model consists of a null fluid coupled to an anisotropic quintessence field, characterised by an equation-of-state parameter ω q , where anisotropy is introduced via distinct radial and tangential pressures in the energy momentum tensor. Our analysis reveals that anisotropy reduces the critical threshold λ c for such formations, thus favouring black hole outcomes and reinforcing the CCC in higher dimensions. The singularities are shown to be the Tipler-Krlak strong curvature type. Several fluid configurations - dust (ω q = 0), radiation (ω q = 1/3), and anisotropic quintessence (ω q = −2/3) - are examined. We demonstrate that anisotropic matter in higher-dimensional Vaidya collapse suppresses the formation of naked singularities by significantly reducing the critical mass-rate threshold λ c , thereby reinforcing the CCC. We establish that increasing spacetime dimensionality D dramatically shrinks the parameter space permitting naked singularities. This dimensional dependence aligns with the enhanced curvature focusing in higher-dimensional spacetimes, while the anisotropy effects generalize the 4D results to arbitrary dimensions.