Photons effected by gravity of a Blackhole?

[sinesawsquare]

Hello,

New to this forum. Very fascinated with physics. Started as a fascination with waveforms, sound, acoustics, and quickly spiraled into an infinite fascination with physics in general, specially particle physics at a quantum level and general relativity at a cosmic level and nuclear chemistrty in stars.

Anyways, bla bla bla about me here is a question I have been hung up on for many months.

I read very many books and no matter how many times I have it explained and how many examples I see I do not get this:

How does a black hole "pull" in photons? I currently understand that we observe mass to attract mass and we call it gravity. SO how can a black hole use gravity to pull on massless particles such as the photon.

Vice versa: how does a massless particle such as a photon "push" on massive particles such as gas clouds in space.

why do photons seem to act like massive particles.

I have many more questions in this same scope but do not want to waste your time by listing them one by one in this thread. I came here because I am absolutely entranced by physics and want to increase my understanding. I want to visualize these things in my head.

Anyways, if this would be more appropriate in another forum please move it. Links to similar threads would be appreciated if you think it would answer my question. Thank you to anybody who reads my post and thank you to anyone that sheds some light (no pun intended) on the situation.

 

[Passionflower]

How does a black hole "pull" in photons?

The mass of the black hole curves spacetime, this influences all objects. So also objects that have no mass!

I currently understand that we observe mass to attract mass and we call it gravity.

Mass certainly attracts other masses but it also attracts massless things.

Mass curves spacetime, so two masses, in general (it's not linear), curve spacetime even more. But the attraction is due to the curvature, and the attraction applies to all objects, also objects that have no mass.

 

[Jimmy]

You might want to check the Frequently Asked Relativity Questions sub-forum:
https://www.physicsforums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=210

How does a black hole "pull" in photons? I currently understand that we observe mass to attract mass and we call it gravity. SO how can a black hole use gravity to pull on massless particles such as the photon.

https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=511173

how does a massless particle such as a photon "push" on massive particles such as gas clouds in space.

https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=512541

 

[sinesawsquare]

This is awesome. Thank you for these answers and these links.

 

[sardar]

Hello,

Thank you for your question. The interaction between photons and black holes is a fascinating and complex topic in physics. It involves the principles of general relativity, quantum mechanics, and thermodynamics. Let me try to provide a brief explanation.

According to general relativity, massive objects, such as stars and planets, create a curvature in space-time. This curvature is what we experience as gravity. When a massive object, like a star, collapses and becomes a black hole, this curvature becomes extremely strong. The closer you get to the black hole, the stronger the curvature becomes. This means that the path of any object, including photons, will be affected by this curvature and will follow a curved trajectory towards the black hole.

Now, as for how a black hole "pulls" on photons, it is important to remember that photons do not have mass, but they do have energy. In general relativity, energy and mass are equivalent, so the strong gravitational pull of a black hole can also affect photons. This is known as gravitational lensing, which is the bending of light by the gravitational field of a massive object. In the case of a black hole, the gravitational pull is so strong that it can even trap photons, creating the black hole's event horizon.

As for the question of why photons seem to act like massive particles, this is where quantum mechanics comes into play. At a quantum level, particles can behave like waves, and photons are no exception. They can exhibit both particle-like and wave-like behavior, depending on the situation. This is known as wave-particle duality. When interacting with other particles, photons can behave like particles, but when traveling through space, they act more like waves.

I hope this helps to shed some light (pun intended) on the topic. It is a complex and fascinating subject, and I encourage you to continue learning and exploring the wonders of physics. There are many resources available, such as books, online courses, and forums like this, where you can ask questions and engage in discussions with other curious minds. Keep asking questions and never stop learning!