• DOI:10.1143/PTP.101.47
• Corpus ID: 119768633

Crossing of Spherical Massive Shells in Vacuum Space-Time

@article{Nakao1999CrossingOS,
  title={Crossing of Spherical Massive Shells in Vacuum Space-Time},
  author={Ken-ichi Nakao and Daisuke Ida and Norimasa Sugiura},
  journal={Progress of Theoretical Physics},
  year={1999},
  volume={101},
  pages={47-71}
}

• K. Nakao, D. Ida, N. Sugiura
• Published 1999
• Physics
• Progress of Theoretical Physics

We investigate collisions between two spherical massive shells in vacuum space-time by assuming that the shells are transparent. We give an expression for the energy transfer and the change in the 3-momentum due to the collision. Compared with the Newtonian situation, the relativistic effect always increases the energy transfer. In particular, in a collision close to the singularity and the horizon defined in the region between the shells, the energy transfer can be arbitrarily large. However, in such cases, the collision is not observable for the asymptotic observer. Further, we discuss a situation similar to the shell crossing on a spherical void wall of the horizon scale. In this case, for some parameter choices, the outer shell initially going outward may suddenly change its motion to contraction due to a relativistic effect when it crosses with the inner shell.