Gravitational collapse to neutron stars and black holes - Computer generation of spherical spacetimes

A new, general relativistic, hydrodynamical computer code for spherical, stellar collapse to neutron stars and black holes is presented. The code is employed to construct spacetimes for the geometrodynamical evolution of spherical masses which are initially at rest and obey an adiabatic Gamma-law equation of state. Collapse to a black hole can be followed accurately; the evolution outside the event horizon can be determined far into the future without having the integration terminate because of spacetime singularities inside. Three possible outcomes for adiabatic core collapse are distinguished: homologous core bounce, nonhomologous core bounce, and catastrophic collapse to a black hole.