Black Hole Creation at Near Light Speed? - Prof. Andrea Ghez

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SUMMARY

Prof. Andrea Ghez's presentation clarified that any mass compressed within the Schwarzschild radius can become a black hole. During the Q&A, a question arose regarding whether an object traveling at near light speed could create a black hole due to increased relativistic mass. Ghez's response indicated that relativistic mass does not lead to black hole formation, aligning with the views of physicist John Baez. The discussion emphasized that mixing special relativity and mass-based gravity concepts is fundamentally flawed, as black holes cannot be accurately described within the framework of flat spacetime.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Schwarzschild radius
  • Familiarity with general relativity (GR) and special relativity (SR)
  • Knowledge of the stress-energy tensor in GR
  • Awareness of the historical context of relativistic mass
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the implications of the Schwarzschild radius on black hole formation
  • Study the differences between general relativity and special relativity
  • Examine the role of the stress-energy tensor in spacetime curvature
  • Explore modern interpretations of mass in relativistic physics
USEFUL FOR

Physicists, students of theoretical physics, and anyone interested in the complexities of black hole formation and the principles of relativity.

jobyts
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Yesterday, I attended the following presentation by Prof. Andrea Ghez.

https://www.meetup.com/physicists/events/236886090/?gj=co2&rv=co2

In the Q&A session towards the end, there was a question she fumbled to give a proper answer.

She mentioned that as long as the mass is compressed into within the Schwarzschild radius, any mass could turn into a black hole.
She gave the exact presentation as in .
See between 8:10-9:00.

The question from the audience was, if an object travels at near speed of light, the mass increases, volume reduces. So, will a near light moving object create a black hole?

https://www.quora.com/Relativity-physics-Does-relativistic-mass-have-gravity
says the relativistic mass does have gravity.
 
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And this, boys and girls, is why we no longer use the concept of "relativistic mass".

Zz.
 
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First of all, any attempt at trying to deal with a black hole mixing concepts of special relativity and "mass based" gravity is doomed. Black holes cannot be described in the flat spacetime of SR, nor is mass the source of spacetime curvature in GR - the stress energy tensor is.

Second, as already mentioned, relativistic mass has been the cause of probably almost as many misunderstandings of SR as the relativity of simultaneity. It is also an archaic concept that is not really used by practicing physicists.
 
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