Hawking Radiation and Black Hole Evaporation

In summary, The conversation is about Hawking Radiation and Black Hole evaporation. The speaker has been looking for a qualitative description of this concept but has not found one yet. They are seeking clarification on the difference between a 'virtual' pair and a 'real' pair and how it affects the mass of a black hole. There is a link provided to a more accurate explanation of the concept by John Baez.
  • #1
Andrew Abbass
4
0
I've been trying to discover a qualitative description of Hawking Radiation and Black Hole evaporation and haven't been able to find one yet. I figured this board might offer some insight.

Can someone explain to me how a 'virtual' pair differs from a 'real' pair?

It seems to me that no matter what, virtual pair production should increase the mass of a black hole. The only alternative we thought of was a 'hole' in the Higgs Ocean that carried the mass/energy debt, but that doesn't explain why the mass and gravity bearing particle would escape as opposed to the 'negative mass and gravity' bearing particle in the virtual pair.

Could someone clear this up for me?
 
Physics news on Phys.org

What is Hawking Radiation?

Hawking Radiation is a theoretical concept proposed by physicist Stephen Hawking. It suggests that black holes emit radiation due to quantum effects near the event horizon. This radiation carries energy away from the black hole, causing it to gradually shrink and eventually evaporate.

How does Hawking Radiation lead to black hole evaporation?

The process of Hawking Radiation involves the creation of particle-antiparticle pairs at the event horizon of a black hole. One particle falls into the black hole while the other escapes, carrying energy away. This energy loss causes the black hole to lose mass and eventually evaporate.

Can Hawking Radiation be observed?

At this time, Hawking Radiation has not been observed directly. However, it is predicted to have a thermal spectrum similar to that of a black body, meaning it could potentially be detected through telescopes observing black holes in the universe.

Does Hawking Radiation violate the law of conservation of energy?

No, Hawking Radiation does not violate the law of conservation of energy. Although it may seem like energy is being created from nothing, the process actually involves the conversion of the black hole's mass into energy.

What is the significance of Hawking Radiation and black hole evaporation?

Hawking Radiation and black hole evaporation have significant implications for our understanding of the universe. They provide a potential explanation for the eventual disappearance of black holes, and also suggest a link between quantum mechanics and general relativity. Further research and observations of these phenomena could lead to new breakthroughs in physics.

Similar threads

I Black Hole Information path described in new article
    • Quantum Physics
Replies
0
Views
733
B Where do virtual particles come from?
    • Quantum Physics
Replies
9
Views
1K
I "Black holes can only get bigger" - huh?
    • Quantum Physics
2
Replies
61
Views
3K
I Entangled particles in black hole decay?
    • Quantum Physics
Replies
11
Views
1K
I Questions about Hawking radiation and extremal black holes...?
    • Special and General Relativity
Replies
2
Views
68
I What is the Limiting Mass at the Final Stages of Black Hole Evaporation?
    • Beyond the Standard Models
Replies
9
Views
1K
B Black hole evaporation mechanism
    • Special and General Relativity
Replies
4
Views
405
I Can there be slowly-falling accretion disks in black holes?
    • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
11
Views
236
B How to shorten this speech about BH?
    • Quantum Physics
Replies
28
Views
3K
I Entanglement may reveal more about black holes? ...Even micro ones!
    • Quantum Physics
Replies
4
Views
616

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top