Black holes and redshift (2 questions)

In summary, the conversation discusses two questions regarding black holes and cosmic redshift. The first question is whether black holes are actually singularities or just collapsed stellar nuclei. The second question is whether the expansion of the universe is accelerating or if there is another explanation for cosmic redshift. The conversation also references sources for further information on these topics.
  • #1
grichblix
2
0
I'm new to the Physics forum and thought I'd start with a couple of stupid questions.

1) How do we know that black holes are not stellar nuclei that have just collapsed to a volume less than their mass dependent Schwarzschild radius (the radius at which the speed of light is the escape velocity) rather than actual singularities? In terms of physics the two types of objects would behave identically, but the former could actually be quite large in physical volume...

2) For cosmic redshift - we attribute it to an expanding universe, but to me it seems there is another equally plausible explanation. what if the redshift of distant objects, which are also far back in time, refers to the relative velocity of the objects at the time the light was emmitted? It would imply a much larger universe, but one that has gradually slowed in expansion to an almost equilibrium point at present rather than an accelerating expansion.

If there are already answers to these questions could you please point me in the right directions?

Thank you
 
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  • #2
I'm new too and I don't know the first one, but I think the second could be correct. could you clarify one thing about it? How would the object lose it's velocity without interaction with other bodies?
cheers, BT
 
  • #3
grichblix said:
1) How do we know that black holes are not stellar nuclei that have just collapsed to a volume less than their mass dependent Schwarzschild radius (the radius at which the speed of light is the escape velocity) rather than actual singularities? In terms of physics the two types of objects would behave identically, but the former could actually be quite large in physical volume...

We don't know that. Event horizon acts like censor. We can't see what is going on inside.

grichblix said:
2) For cosmic redshift - we attribute it to an expanding universe, but to me it seems there is another equally plausible explanation. what if the redshift of distant objects, which are also far back in time, refers to the relative velocity of the objects at the time the light was emmitted? It would imply a much larger universe, but one that has gradually slowed in expansion to an almost equilibrium point at present rather than an accelerating expansion.

Why don't you ask first: How do we know that expansion of universe is accelerating?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accelerating_universe"
 
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  • #4
I've looked at all the wikipedia articles on the accelerating universe, etc., as well as some other reading. From what I understand, the evidence that the expansion of the universe is accelerating are based on similar redshift measures as the expansion in the first place. Unless there is some evidence that the redshift for individual type 1A supernovas is changing, which would imply a change in velocity, I don't see how else they can address it. Do you have a better suggestion for where I can look up the acceleration of the expansion that details the evidence?

Thanks
 
  • #5
grichblix said:
Unless there is some evidence that the redshift for individual type 1A supernovas is changing, which would imply a change in velocity, I don't see how else they can address it.

Thanks


We don't need evidence that redshift is changing.


grichblix said:
Do you have a better suggestion for where I can look up the acceleration of the expansion that details the evidence?

http://www.pnas.org/content/96/8/4224.full"
http://map.gsfc.nasa.gov"

Hope it helps.
 
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  • #6
grichblix said:
1) How do we know that black holes are not stellar nuclei that have just collapsed to a volume less than their mass dependent Schwarzschild radius (the radius at which the speed of light is the escape velocity) rather than actual singularities? In terms of physics the two types of objects would behave identically, but the former could actually be quite large in physical volume...

According to Schwarzschild metric, outside 2M, dt is the greater quantity and proper t is temporal, once r becomes smaller than 2M, dr becomes the greater quantity and distance becomes temporal. Holding a stable radius within 2M would be akin to holding at 3 pm in time-like geodesics. The only way collapse is going to stop within a static black hole is if the energy that distinguishes space and matter combine and become indistinguishable which is predicted to occur at very small scales.

In a rotating or charged black hole, things are a little different, time-like geodesics are supposed to be reinstated within the deep region of the black hole so there may be an argument that a singularity in the strict sense doesn't occur.
 
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  • #7
If not the red shift then perhaps microwave background radiation which is the solid evidence of the Big Bang (or something like that) will show some light on your question of accelerating universe.
To me it seems that the expanding of universe is true in the highlight of redshift and the idea that it is from the relative velocity of bodies is not so good because i can't see why these bodies stopped to accelerate and maintain a constant velocity?
 

What is a black hole and how is it formed?

A black hole is a region in space with an incredibly strong gravitational pull that is so strong, not even light can escape from it. It is formed when a massive star dies and its core collapses under its own gravity, becoming infinitely dense and creating a singularity.

What happens to objects that get too close to a black hole?

If an object gets too close to a black hole, it will be pulled towards it and ultimately get sucked into the singularity. This is because the gravitational pull of a black hole is so strong that it warps the fabric of space-time, causing objects to fall towards it.

What is redshift and how is it related to black holes?

Redshift is a phenomenon in which light from distant objects appears to have a longer wavelength, shifting towards the red end of the spectrum. This is caused by the expansion of the universe. In the case of black holes, the extreme gravitational pull can cause light passing near it to also experience redshift.

Can anything escape from a black hole?

Once an object passes the event horizon of a black hole, it is impossible for it to escape. This is because the event horizon marks the point of no return where the gravitational pull becomes too strong for anything to escape, not even light.

How do scientists study black holes if they cannot be seen?

Scientists use various methods to study black holes, such as observing their effects on nearby objects, analyzing the radiation emitted from the accretion disk (a disk of matter spiraling into the black hole), and detecting gravitational waves. They also use computer simulations and mathematical models to better understand the behavior of black holes.

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