Laying a rope into a black hole very fast

In summary: Not knowing the math of black holes, my naïve answer would be "compression". The observed density of the rope would increase.
  • #1
jartsa
1,577
138
So, I lay a rope into a black hole, rope leaves the reel at velocity 0.99 c.

When I observe the lower end of the rope, I never see it reaching the event horizon.

Can I see some slack rope somewhere sometime?
 
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  • #3
It might be useful to consider what an observer colocated with you at t=0 and moving with the rope would see.

Said observer would fall into the black hole at some finite proper time ##\tau## on his wristwatch. He'd see the event horizion as a lightlike surface approaching him at "c". Assuming a large black hole and ignoring tidal effects, the distance to the event horizion from the ropes frame of referece would be ##c \, \tau##.

Meanwhile the ship would be flying away from the black hole and accelerating, laying out more rope. When the front of the rope reaches the event horizon, the ship would have p.ayed out approximately ##.99 \, c \, \tau## meters of rope ignoring the acceleration of the ship. Taking into account the acceleration of the ship the rope must stretch, as Egan has indicated.

Trying to consider things in the Schwarzschild frame isn't going to really work well, as our intuition of what a rope "should do" works best in a frame that's co-moving with the rope.
 
  • #4
jartsa said:
So, I lay a rope into a black hole, rope leaves the reel at velocity 0.99 c.

When I observe the lower end of the rope, I never see it reaching the event horizon.

Can I see some slack rope somewhere sometime?
Obviously, at the moment the tail end of the rope leaves the reel, it will be slack and observable. Tidal effects would tend to cause the center of the rope to be taut, but the observed "scrunching up" of the rope as you observe it approach the event horizon would not be the result of slackness.
 
  • #6
.Scott said:
Obviously, at the moment the tail end of the rope leaves the reel, it will be slack and observable. Tidal effects would tend to cause the center of the rope to be taut, but the observed "scrunching up" of the rope as you observe it approach the event horizon would not be the result of slackness.

How can rope be scrunched up but not slack??
 
  • #7
pervect said:
It might be useful to consider what an observer colocated with you at t=0 and moving with the rope would see.

Said observer would fall into the black hole at some finite proper time ##\tau## on his wristwatch. He'd see the event horizion as a lightlike surface approaching him at "c". Assuming a large black hole and ignoring tidal effects, the distance to the event horizion from the ropes frame of referece would be ##c \, \tau##.

Meanwhile the ship would be flying away from the black hole and accelerating, laying out more rope. When the front of the rope reaches the event horizon, the ship would have p.ayed out approximately ##.99 \, c \, \tau## meters of rope ignoring the acceleration of the ship. Taking into account the acceleration of the ship the rope must stretch, as Egan has indicated.

Trying to consider things in the Schwarzschild frame isn't going to really work well, as our intuition of what a rope "should do" works best in a frame that's co-moving with the rope.
##.99 \, c \, \tau##

I suspect frame jumping there. To obtain a distance, a velocity measured somewhere is multiplied by a time measured elsewhere.

EDIT: I see, the velocity was some rope segment's idea about the velocity of the ship. So no frame jumping.
 
Last edited:
  • #8
jartsa said:
How can rope be scrunched up but not slack??

Not knowing the math of black holes, my naïve answer would be "compression". The observed density of the rope would increase.

I could be wrong, but if I am wrong I'm sure I will be corrected.
 
  • #9
jartsa said:
The rope has to break, if the unreeling rate is constant.
Yes, it must break.
 
  • #10
jartsa said:
How can rope be scrunched up but not slack??
In the same way that a rope traveling at near the speed of light will appear flattened, even if remains taut.
 

FAQ: Laying a rope into a black hole very fast

What is a black hole?

A black hole is a region of space where the gravitational pull is so strong that nothing, including light, can escape from it. This is due to the immense mass of the black hole being concentrated into a very small space.

How fast can you lay a rope into a black hole?

The speed at which you can lay a rope into a black hole depends on several factors, including the mass and size of the black hole, the length and thickness of the rope, and the speed and force with which it is being pulled. It is important to note that as an object gets closer to a black hole, it experiences an increase in gravitational pull, making it more difficult to escape.

Why would someone want to lay a rope into a black hole very fast?

Laying a rope into a black hole very fast may be a hypothetical scenario used by scientists to study the effects of extreme gravitational forces on objects. It can also be used to test theories about the behavior of matter and energy in the presence of a black hole.

What would happen if a rope was laid into a black hole very fast?

If a rope were to be laid into a black hole very fast, it would experience immense gravitational pull, causing it to stretch and eventually break apart. As it gets closer to the black hole, the rope would also experience tidal forces that could tear it apart. Ultimately, the rope would be pulled into the black hole and become part of its mass.

Can a rope be pulled back out of a black hole?

No, once an object, including a rope, crosses the event horizon (the point of no return) of a black hole, it is impossible to escape. The immense gravitational pull of the black hole would continue to pull the rope deeper and deeper into the black hole until it is completely consumed.

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