Colliding Kaluza-Klein Bubbles

Abstract

We construct an exact solution describing the collision of two Kaluza-Klein "bubbles of nothing" in 3+1 dimensions. When the bubbles collide, a curvature singularity forms which is hidden inside an event horizon. However, unlike the formation of ordinary black holes, in this case the spacetime resembles the entire maximally extended Schwarzschild solution. We also point out that there are inequivalent bubbles that can be constructed from Kerr black holes.