Kruskal–Szekeres coordinates

In general relativityKruskal–Szekeres coordinates, named after Martin Kruskal and George Szekeres, are a coordinate system for the Schwarzschild geometry for a black hole. These coordinates have the advantage that they cover the entire spacetime manifold of the maximally extended Schwarzschild solution and are well-behaved everywhere outside the physical singularity. There is no coordinate singularity at the horizon.

The Kruskal–Szekeres coordinates also apply to space-time around a spherical object, but in that case do not give a description of space-time inside the radius of the object. Space-time in a region where a star is collapsing into a black hole is approximated by the Kruskal–Szekeres coordinates (or by the Schwarzschild coordinates). The surface of the star remains outside the event horizon in the Schwarzschild coordinates, but crosses it in the Kruskal–Szekeres coordinates. (In any “black hole” which we observe, we see it at a time when its matter has not yet finished collapsing, so it is not really a black hole yet.) Similarly, objects falling into a black hole remain outside the event horizon in Schwarzschild coordinates, but cross it in Kruskal–Szekeres coordinates.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kruskal%E2%80%93Szekeres_coordinates

Kruskal–Szekeres coordinates was last modified: June 15th, 2024 by Jovan Stosic