Wormhole dynamics in spherical symmetry

Abstract

A dynamical theory of traversable wormholes is detailed in spherical symmetry. Generically a wormhole consists of a tunnel of trapped surfaces between two mouths, defined as temporal outer trapping horizons with opposite senses, in mutual causal contact. In static cases, the mouths coincide as the throat of a Morris-Thorne wormhole, with surface gravity providing an invariant measure of the radial curvature or "flaring-out". The null energy condition must be violated at a wormhole mouth. Zeroth, first and second laws are derived for the mouths, as for black holes. Dynamic processes involving wormholes are reviewed, including enlargement or reduction, and interconversion with black holes. A new area of wormhole thermodynamics is suggested.