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A review of spherically symmetric gravitational collapse
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A review of spherically symmetric gravitational collapse

Innocent Sithole
Master of Science (MSc), University of Johannesburg
2025
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/10210/519044

Abstract

Gravitational collapse is the process by which an astronomical object, such as a cloud of gas or a star, contracts under the influence of its own gravity. This occurs when internal pressure becomes insufficient to counteract the inward gravitational pull, leading to a continual contraction of matter toward the center. In this dissertation, we study the formation of a black hole as a natural consequence of gravitational collapse. Firstly, we review the analytical solutions presented in the seminal work of Oppenheimer and Snyder, “On Continued Gravitational Contraction” [1], by deriving and analyzing the corresponding Einstein field equations. Secondly, to address the approximations inherent in the OS model, we investigate the geodesic equations governing the motion of infalling matter to evaluate the development of an event horizon and the approach toward singularity formation. The analysis ensures a consistent physical description by smoothly matching the interior Friedmann–Robertson–Walker (FRW)-like metric with the exterior Schwarzschild metric at the boundary of the collapsing dust cloud.
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