Black hole dynamics in general relativity

ABHAY ASHTEKAR^1,2

¹Institute for Gravitational Physics and Geometry, Physics Department,

Penn State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA

²Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Utrecht, Princetonplein 5,

3584 CC Utrecht, The Netherlands

E-mail: ashtekar@gravity.psu.edu

Abstract. Basic features of dynamical black holes in full, non-linear

general relativity are summarized in a pedagogical fashion.

Qualitative properties of the evolution of various horizons follow

directly from the celebrated Raychaudhuri equation.

Keywords. Black holes; event; isolated and dynamical horizons;

Raychaudhuri equation.

PACS Nos 04.25.Dm; 04.70.Bw