An upper limit to the size of black holes?

In summary, the conversation discusses the possibility of an upper limit to the size of a black hole and what may happen if a supermassive black hole consumes all the matter in a galaxy. One conjecture is that the matter inside the black hole may eventually turn into energy, resulting in a big bang. This could potentially disrupt the homogeneity of the universe and cause nearby black holes to burst and release their matter. The conversation also acknowledges the speculative nature of the discussion and encourages open-mindedness.
  • #1
bkelly
101
1
In an earlier post I make the controversial suggestion that the universe was very heterogeneous in the early stages. I have another conjecture that goes along with that one.

Please try to read this with a bit of an open mind.

Imagine that there is an upper limit to the size of a black hole. Presume that the supermassive black hole in a galaxy eventually consumed most or all of the matter in the galaxy. Think of what might happen when a couple million of these super massive black holes combine. Might there be a point where the conditions inside the black hole are so extreme that matter cannot exist in any form?

If a black hole reached that state, what would happen? If the matter simply cannot exist, then what does it do?

One possibility might be that it would translate into energy. Over some relatively small amount of time, all, or maybe most of the matter energy in this black hole would translate into energy. Now there is no longer any matter to bend space. What once was a black hole is now a huge amount of energy in a relatively very small space. Effectively a big bang.

Back to my earlier post: If that black hole did not contain “all” the matter of the universe, then the matter around it would disturb any homogeneity of the explosion. Maybe the explosion would cause some, most, or some number of the nearby black holes to burst or rupture suddenly releasing their matter.

Before shooting me down, take a minute to play around with this concept. Think of it as a fun exercise and see what you might come up with.
 
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  • #2
bkelly said:
Might there be a point where the conditions inside the black hole are so extreme that matter cannot exist in any form?

In any black hole, conditions are so extreme that matter cannot exist in any form. That's what the singularity is.

Please review PF's rules https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=414380 on overly speculative posts.
 

FAQ: An upper limit to the size of black holes?

What determines the upper limit to the size of black holes?

The upper limit to the size of black holes is determined by the amount of matter that is available for it to consume. Once a black hole has consumed all the matter within its reach, it stops growing in size.

Is there a maximum size that a black hole can reach?

Yes, there is a maximum size that a black hole can reach. This is known as the Schwarzschild radius, which is the point at which the gravitational pull becomes so strong that even light cannot escape from it.

Can black holes merge and become larger?

Yes, black holes can merge and become larger. When two black holes come close enough to each other, they will eventually merge and form a larger black hole. This is known as a black hole merger.

What happens to matter that is consumed by a black hole?

When matter is consumed by a black hole, it gets compressed into a singularity at the center of the black hole. This singularity has infinite density and is surrounded by the event horizon, which is the point of no return for anything that enters the black hole.

Could there be black holes that are larger than the known upper limit?

It is highly unlikely that there are black holes larger than the known upper limit. This is because the laws of physics and the properties of matter make it difficult for black holes to grow beyond a certain point. However, there is still ongoing research and exploration in this area to learn more about the nature of black holes.

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