Models for the nonsingular transition of an evaporating black hole into a white hole

Abstract: There have been a number of suggestions that the r = 0 singularity of a spherically symmetric (uncharged) evaporating black hole can be circumvented by a quantum transition to a white hole, which eventually releases all trapped quantum information, consistent with overall unitary evolution of the quantum fields. Some of these scenarios rely on loop quantum gravity to impose a minimum area of two-spheres, but are quite vague on how to deal with black hole evaporation, particularly its endpoint. In this paper I present a rather complete toy model for the evolution of the geometry and the effective stress-energy tensor derived from the geometry via the classical Einstein equations. Modifications of the Schwarzschild geometry once the formation of the black hole is complete are very small outside regions of high curvature, and the curvature never becomes super-Planckian. The evolution of the white hole is roughlythe time reverse of the formation and evaporation of the black hole. The mass of the white hole increases as it gradually emits the negative energy that flowed into the black hole during its evaporation until the matter and radiaton that collapsed to form the black hole emerges and the white hole disappears. I consider the compatibility of the model with some of the quantum energy condition proposed in the literature, and the implications for the interpretation of black hole entropy.