First Order Phase Transitions in Gravitational Collapse

Abstract

In recent numerical simulations of spherically symmetric gravitational collapse a new type of critical behaviour, dominated by a sphaleron solution, has been found. In contrast to the previously studied models, in this case there is a finite gap in the spectrum of black-hole masses which is reminiscent of a first order phase transition. We briefly summarize the essential features of this phase transition and describe the basic heuristic picture underlying the numerical phenomenology.

11 pages, Revtex, to appear in the Proceedings of Gauge Theories of Gravity (Jadwisin, 1997), special volume of Acta Physica Polonica B in honour of Professor Andrzej Trautman