Matching McVittie spacetimes

Abstract Gravitational collapse and bubble evolution in the asymptotic Friedmann–Lemaître–Robertson–Walker (FLRW) Universe is an intriguing and intricate problem. We systematically analyze the dynamics of contact Schwarzschild–FLRW (McVittie) spacetimes, focusing on their general junction conditions and introducing a novel function to simplify the extrinsic curvature and surface stress–energy tensor. Both static and dynamic scenarios are explored, including special cases such as Schwarzschild, FLRW, and Einstein–Straus configurations using our general framework. Numerical calculations further investigate the evolution of concentric McVittie spacetimes under various initial conditions, incorporating Λ-CDM cosmological models to better reflect realistic cosmic backgrounds. These results offer deep insights into the interplay between the McVittie mass parameter, initial peculiar velocity, and the influence of dark energy, providing a unified perspective for understanding gravitational collapse and bubble evolution in cosmology and astrophysics.