Final state of the evolution of the interior of a charged black hole

Abstract

We describe the dynamical evolution of scalar, electromagnetic, and gravitational test fields on the interior of a Reissner-Nordstr\"om (spherically symmetric and electrically charged) black hole. The instability of the hole's Cauchy horizon is discussed in detail in terms of the divergences of the energy densities of the test fields as measured by a freely falling observer approaching the Cauchy horizon. The late-time development of the fields is discussed and a picture of the final state for the interior (in terms of classical fields) is developed. We conclude that the Cauchy horizon of the analytically extended Reissner-Nordstr\"om solution is highly unstable and not a physical feature of a realistic gravitational collapse.