Dimensionally continued Oppenheimer-Snyder gravitational collapse. I - solutions in even dimensions

Abstract

The extension of the general relativity theory to higher dimensions, so that the field equations for the metric remain of second order, is done through the Lovelock action. This action can also be interpreted as the dimensionally continued Euler characteristics of lower dimensions. The theory has many constant coefficients apparently without any physical meaning. However, it is possible, in a natural way, to reduce to two (the cosmological and Newton's constant) these several arbitrary coefficients, yielding a restricted Lovelock gravity. In this process one separates theories in even dimensions from theories in odd dimensions. These theories have static black hole solutions. In general relativity, black holes appear as the final state of gravitational collapse. In this work, gravitational collapse of a regular dust fluid in even dimensional restricted Lovelock gravity is studied. It is found that black holes emerge as the final state for these regular initial conditions.