Abstract:
General Relativity (GR) predicts that, under standard conditions for normal matter,
when gravity prevails over other forces, a space-time singularity must form [1]. On the other hand
singularities are not expected to occur in the real universe as they may lead to pathological problems for
the causal structure of the space-time. Several recent studies suggest that there may be mechanisms that
prevent the formation of singularities and that these are likely to be related to quantum correction to GR
that appear in the strong field regime. We considered some mathematical toy models describing complete
gravitational collapse of a massive cloud that classically lead to the formation of a singularity. In order to
fully characterize the final stages of collapse we would then need to use a theory of quantum-gravity
which we do not possess yet. On the other hand semi-classical approaches are possible and they provide
valuable hints at how gravity behaves in such extreme conditions [2].