Null geodesics, causal structure, and matter accretion in Lorentzian-Euclidean black holes

Recently, we introduced the Lorentzian-Euclidean black hole, a static and spherically symmetric solution of vacuum Einstein equations that exhibits a change in metric signature across the event horizon. In this framework, the analysis of radial trajectories of freely falling bodies proves that the central singularity can be avoided via a mechanism we interpret as atemporality, which is responsible for the shift of the time variable from real to imaginary values. In this paper, we further explore this model by first examining the behavior of null geodesics. Our investigation requires a set of signature-adaptive coordinate changes that generalize the local Lorentz transformations underlying General Relativity. We find that photon orbits, like their massive counterparts, cannot traverse the event horizon, thereby strengthening the previous result on the impossibility to reach the $r=0$ singularity. Additionally, we discuss the causal structure of the spacetime, provide the corresponding Penrose diagram, and analyze the process of matter accretion in the outer region of the black hole.

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Publication Details

Journal
Physical review. D/Physical review. D.
Published
2025-07-14
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1103/ybjp-8w2w
Citations
10
Primary Topic
Black Holes and Theoretical Physics
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
18.70
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article

Null geodesics, causal structure, and matter accretion in Lorentzian-Euclidean black holes

Karl J. Friston
10 citations
Physical review. D/Physical review. D.
Black Holes and Theoretical Physics
18.70
article

Null geodesics, causal structure, and matter accretion in Lorentzian-Euclidean black holes

Karl J. Friston
article en
10 citations

Abstract

Recently, we introduced the Lorentzian-Euclidean black hole, a static and spherically symmetric solution of vacuum Einstein equations that exhibits a change in metric signature across the event horizon. In this framework, the analysis of radial trajectories of freely falling bodies proves that the central singularity can be avoided via a mechanism we interpret as atemporality, which is responsible for the shift of the time variable from real to imaginary values. In this paper, we further explore this model by first examining the behavior of null geodesics. Our investigation requires a set of signature-adaptive coordinate changes that generalize the local Lorentz transformations underlying General Relativity. We find that photon orbits, like their massive counterparts, cannot traverse the event horizon, thereby strengthening the previous result on the impossibility to reach the $r=0$ singularity. Additionally, we discuss the causal structure of the spacetime, provide the corresponding Penrose diagram, and analyze the process of matter accretion in the outer region of the black hole.

Physical review. D/Physical review. D.Vol. 112(4)
Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (IT), University of Milan (IT), Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Napoli (IT), Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati (IT), Scuola Superiore Meridionale (IT), University of Naples Federico II (IT)
Openalex Percentile: Top 1%
Black Holes and Theoretical Physics
18.70
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Null geodesics, causal structure, and matter accretion in Lorentzian-Euclidean black holes — Karl J. Friston · Physical review. D/Physical review. D. (2025) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS