Singular hypersurfaces and thin shells in cosmology

Abstract: We analyse spherically symmetric geometries, combining a cosmological patch and a Schwarzschild black hole patch joined via a singular co-dimension 1 hypersurface. In a general analysis applicable to dimensions greater than three, assuming an arbitrary homogeneous and isotropic cosmology, we derive the stress-energy tensor of the hypersurface in terms of the cosmological energy density. This analysis reveals a novel exact solution featuring radiation within the cosmology and a shell composed of pressureless dust. Exploring the parameter space yields twenty-two distinct solution families, including bubble of cosmology' andSwiss cheese' spacetimes. Notably, solutions with a negative cosmological constant exhibit a holographic dual. Additionally, we provide a pedagogical introduction to hypersurfaces in general relativity and a practical approach for constructing thin shell spacetimes.