- Accepted Paper
Trapped surface as a cosmic censor
Phys. Rev. Lett. - Accepted 9 November, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/vltf-1bh9
Phys. Rev. Lett. - Accepted 9 November, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/vltf-1bh9
We formulate a local geometric criterion for weak cosmic censorship in black hole overcharging/overspinning thought experiments. Under the null convergence and generic conditions, matter injection turns a horizon cross section into a closed trapped surface. Any candidate final spacetime incompatible with this trapped surface is ruled out. The criterion excludes candidate final states locally described by superextremal Reissner-Nordstr"om, Kerr-Newman and Reissner-Nordstr"om-de Sitter geometries, as well as Weyl-class naked singularities, without using asymptotic charges or an extremal bound.
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