Global Kruskal-Szekeres coordinates for Reissner-Nordstr\"om spacetime

Abstract

I derive a smooth and global Kruskal-Szekeres coordinate chart for the maximal extension of the non-extremal Reissner-Nordstr\"om geometry that provides a generalization to the standard inner and outer Kruskal-Szekeres coordinates. The Kruskal-Szekeres diagram associated to this coordinate chart, whose existence is an interesting fact in and on itself, provides a simple alternative with a transparent physical interpretation to the conformal diagram of the spacetime.