Effects of Lovelock terms on the final fate of gravitational collapse: analysis in dimensionally continued gravity

Abstract

We find an exact solution in dimensionally continued gravity in arbitrary dimensions which describes the gravitational collapse of a null dust fluid. Considering the situation where a null dust fluid injects into the initially anti-de Sitter spacetime, we show that a naked singularity can be formed. In even dimensions, a massless ingoing null naked singularity emerges. In odd dimensions, meanwhile, a massive timelike naked singularity forms. These naked singularities can be globally naked if the ingoing null dust fluid is switched off at a finite time; the resulting spacetime is static and asymptotically anti-de Sitter spacetime. The curvature strength of the massive timelike naked singularity in odd dimensions is independent of the spacetime dimensions or the power of the mass function. This is a characteristic feature in Lovelock gravity.