Phase Transition in Spherically Symmetric Gravitational Collapse of a Massless Scalar Field

Abstract

Phase transition in spherically symmetric collapse of a massless scalar field is studied in 4-d Einstein gravity. A class of exact solutions that show the evolution of a constant incoming energy flux turned on at a point in the past null infinity are constructed to serve as an explicit example. The recently discovered phase transition in this system via numerical methods \cite{choptuik} is manifest; above a threshold value of the incooming energy flux, a black hole is dynamically formed and below that, the incoming flux is reflected forward into the future null infinity. The critical exponent is evaluated and discussed using the solutions.