I summarize results from a numerical study of spherically symmetric collapse of a massless scalar field. I consider families of solutions, scrS[p], with the property that a critical parameter value, ${\mathit{p}}^{\mathrm{*}}$, separates solutions containing black holes from those which do not. I present evidence in support of conjectures that (1) the strong-field evolution in the p→${\mathit{p}}^{\mathrm{*}}$ limit is universal and generates structure on arbitrarily small spatiotemporal scales and (2) the masses of black holes which form satisfy a power law ${\mathit{M}}_{\mathrm{BH}}$∝‖p-${\mathit{p}}^{\mathrm{*}}$${\mathrm{\Vert }}^{\gamma }$, where γ≊0.37 is a universal exponent.

• Received 22 September 1992

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.70.9

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