Splitting of an extremal Reissner-Nordström throat via quantum tunneling

Abstract

The interior near the horizon of an extremal Reissner-Nordström black hole is taken as an initial state for quantum-mechanical tunneling. An instanton is presented that connects this state with a final state describing the presence of several horizons. This is interpreted as a WKB description of fluctuations due to a splitting and recombination of the throat into several components.