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hkyriazi
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Is there any direct evidence that black holes are smaller in size than (less massive) neutron stars?
hkyriazi said:Is there any direct evidence that black holes are smaller in size than (less massive) neutron stars?
hkyriazi said:Thanks, guys. I gather - especially from bcrowell's answer - that we really don't have any way to directly measure the mass density of black holes, since we can't measure their actual size, only an upper bound for it, based on observation data that relates to (approximates?) the Schwartzchild radius.
It's interesting that, based on such radii, they'd have an orders-of-magnitude lower mass density than neutron stars.
hkyriazi said:I seem to be getting two contradictory claims here. Both bcrowell and twofish-quant say that, theoretically, black holes have less mass density than neutron stars, but kai0 now says precisely the opposite. Judging by the care (spelling) and thoroughness of their respective responses, and their PF credentials, I have to go with the former.
In any case, I do have my answer, which is that observational evidence cannot, at the moment (but may, within the next decade, according to George Jones' posts - thanks for those), say one way or the other.
kai0 said:How can you say that neutron star are more massive black holes are formed from more massive star than the star that make neutron star?
Black holes are significantly larger than neutron stars. A black hole can have a mass equivalent to several suns, while a neutron star typically has a mass of only about 1.4 times that of our sun.
No, it is not possible for a black hole and neutron star to have the same size. Black holes are formed from the collapse of a massive star, while neutron stars are formed from the collapse of a smaller star. Therefore, the size difference between the two is inevitable.
Black holes do not have a defined size, as they are constantly growing by absorbing matter and radiation. Neutron stars, on the other hand, can slightly decrease in size as they release energy in the form of radiation.
The gravitational pull of a black hole is much stronger than that of a neutron star due to its larger mass. The stronger the gravitational pull, the more likely it is for objects to be pulled towards the black hole or neutron star.
There are theories that suggest larger black holes may have longer lifespans due to their ability to absorb more matter and radiation. However, the exact impact of size on the lifespan of a black hole or neutron star is still being studied and debated by scientists.