Vaporizing Black Holes: Does It Really Happen?

In summary, black holes vaporize when they lose all their mass through hawking radiation, and this process is uncertain and dependent on our theory of quantum gravity. M_{sun} stands for the mass of the sun in kilograms, and there is currently no confirmed observational evidence for hawking radiation. Scientists are still seeking plausible alternatives and a better understanding of the hypothesis. As for quantum gravity, there is ongoing research and developments can be found on various forums and websites.
  • #1
varsha
56
0
does this mean they really 'stop'. vaporize means 'decrease rapidly and disappear'. i know that. but i just want to be sure. please tell me if a BH really vaporizes. oh,and can you tell me what this means---'A 3 Msun black hole would require about 1063(10 raised to 63) years to completely evaporate'. what does M stand for in Msun?
 
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  • #2
varsha said:
does this mean they really 'stop'. vaporize means 'decrease rapidly and disappear'. i know that. but i just want to be sure. please tell me if a BH really vaporizes. oh,and can you tell me what this means---'A 3 Msun black hole would require about 1063(10 raised to 63) years to completely evaporate'. what does M stand for in Msun?
Black holes vaporize when they lose all their mass through hawking radiation. They 'evaporate' so to speak. As they get smaller, the evaporate faster.

[tex]M_{sun}[/tex] stands for the mass of the sun, usually in kilograms. In place of the word sun there will sometimes be a circle with a dot in the center, means the same thing.
 
  • #3
franznietzsche said:
Black holes vaporize when they lose all their mass through hawking radiation. They 'evaporate' so to speak. As they get smaller, the evaporate faster.
[tex]M_{sun}[/tex] stands for the mass of the sun, usually in kilograms. In place of the word sun there will sometimes be a circle with a dot in the center, means the same thing.
thanks for that info!
 
  • #4
Is this an absolutely for sure thing? Is there any possibility of error in this hypothesis/theory?
 
  • #5
ubavontuba said:
Is this an absolutely for sure thing? Is there any possibility of error in this hypothesis/theory?

Hawking radiation from black holes has not be observationally confirmed, if that's what you're getting at. However, we have good reasons to think it's correct. Also, some folks think black holes will radiate until they reach the Planck mass, leaving behind a tiny relic. This is uncertain, though, and should depend on our theory of quantum gravity.
 
  • #6
Space Tiger said:
This is uncertain, though, and should depend on our theory of quantum gravity.
Do we have one yet? And/or, where do I find the "most recent" developments? (links?)
 
  • #7
Labguy said:
Do we have one yet? And/or, where do I find the "most recent" developments? (links?)

I suggest a perusing of the https://www.physicsforums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=66" forum. There are a lot of discussions and links on the topic. I'm afraid I know very little about the subject.
 
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  • #8
SpaceTiger said:
Hawking radiation from black holes has not be observationally confirmed, if that's what you're getting at. However, we have good reasons to think it's correct. Also, some folks think black holes will radiate until they reach the Planck mass, leaving behind a tiny relic. This is uncertain, though, and should depend on our theory of quantum gravity.

No, I'm not really getting at observational evidence (that's supposed to come when the http://lhc.web.cern.ch/lhc/general/gen_info.htm" comes on line). I'm more inclined to read opinions on the soundness of the hypothesis itself. Is there room for error? Is this room significant? That is to say; if black holes exist, must they evaporate?

I've seen lots of information in support of the hypothesis, but little to refute it. It seems that in the interest of good science, scientists would seek plausible alternatives in order to better verify the hypothesis.

As I recall, Brain Greene had hypothesized that electrons might be nano black holes. Here's an http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?method=4&dsid=2222&dekey=Black+hole+electron&gwp=8&curtab=2222_1&linktext=electron%20black%20hole" . According to my information though, this concept isn't taken very seriously.

Labguy said:
Do we have one yet (a quantum gravity theory)? And/or, where do I find the "most recent" developments? (links?)

Here's an http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:...wiki/Quantum_gravity+"Quantum+gravity"&hl=en".
 
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  • #9
SpaceTiger said:
I suggest a perusing of the https://www.physicsforums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=66" forum. There are a lot of discussions and links on the topic. I'm afraid I know very little about the subject.
I'll go there (haven't yet) but I really don't want to have to read any more about Brian Greene and String Theory...
I have about everything he (Greene) has published and I wish I could get 15 cents on the dollar for what I spent for them.:cry:
 
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FAQ: Vaporizing Black Holes: Does It Really Happen?

1. Can black holes really vaporize?

Yes, they can. According to the theory of Hawking radiation, black holes emit small amounts of energy at a very slow rate, causing them to lose mass over time. As the black hole loses mass, its gravitational pull weakens and it eventually evaporates.

2. How does vaporization of black holes happen?

The process of black hole vaporization occurs due to quantum effects near the event horizon. Pairs of particles and anti-particles are constantly being created and destroyed near the event horizon, with one particle escaping and the other falling into the black hole. This creates a net loss of mass for the black hole, causing it to eventually evaporate.

3. Can we observe the vaporization of black holes?

Currently, we do not have the technology to directly observe the evaporation of black holes. However, scientists have observed other phenomena that support the theory of Hawking radiation, such as the detection of high-energy particles near black holes.

4. Is there a limit to the size of black holes that can vaporize?

Yes, there is a theoretical limit known as the Planck mass, which is the smallest possible mass that a black hole can have. Black holes with masses smaller than the Planck mass would evaporate almost instantly, while larger black holes would take longer to evaporate.

5. What are the implications of black hole vaporization?

The concept of black hole vaporization has important implications for the fate of the universe. As black holes continue to evaporate over time, they will eventually disappear, releasing all of their remaining energy in the form of radiation. This means that in the distant future, the universe may be filled with a sea of radiation from evaporated black holes.

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