On the hypotheses of Penrose’s singularity theorem under disformal transformations

Abstract

We analyze how the hypotheses of Penrose’s singularity theorem (1965) are modified by the action of disformal transformations (defined in terms of light-like vectors) upon a given space-time metric. In particular, we investigate the transformation of the null energy condition and the existence of closed trapped surfaces in such scenario, in order to derive conditions upon the background metric and the disformal vector that guarantee the validity of Penrose’s theorem for disformal metrics. Then, we explain how to apply this technique for static and spherically symmetric space-times in general.