Blackfolds, Plane Waves and Minimal Surfaces

Understand

Minimal surfaces in Euclidean space provide examples of possible non-compact horizon geometries and topologies in asymptotically flat space-time.

• On the other hand, the existence of limiting surfaces in the space-time provides a simple mechanism for making these configurations compact.
• Limiting surfaces appear naturally in a given space-time by making minimal surfaces rotate but they are also inherent to plane wave or de Sitter space-times in which case minimal surfaces can be static and compact.
• We use the blackfold approach in order to scan for possible black hole horizon geometries and topologies in asymptotically flat, plane wave and de Sitter space-times.