Do Black Holes and Dark Matter Interact?

In summary, black holes and dark matter do interact, but in a different way than normal matter due to dark matter's collisionless nature. This makes it difficult for dark matter to fall into a black hole and for black holes to form from dark matter. Thus, it is not surprising that black holes do not consume much dark matter.
  • #1
iRaid
559
8
Interesting :eek:

http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/arxiv/26316/?ref=rss
 
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  • #2
I think this is a bit misleading... It's not that black holes and dark matter don't interact -- dark matter responds identically to the gravity of a black hole as would any other matter. The thing is, dark matter is collisionless. That is, it will pass right through itself and normal matter without generating friction. This makes it difficult to fall into a black hole, since it would have to be in a basically head-on trajectory. Normal matter often falls into a black hole by forming an accretion disk around it, where friction slowly robs the matter of its orbital energy and it eventually falls in. Since this process cannot occur for dark matter, it is no surprise then that black holes do not consume much of it.

Similarly, we don't really expect dark matter to form black holes, even though there's no reason they could not. Again, it is the lack of friction which makes this process very unlikely.
 

1. What is a black hole?

A black hole is a region in space with a gravitational pull so strong that nothing, including light, can escape from it. It is formed when a massive star dies and its core collapses under its own gravity.

2. How do we know black holes exist?

Scientists are able to detect black holes through their gravitational effects on surrounding matter. This can be observed through the distortion of light, the orbit of nearby stars, and the emission of X-rays from the hot matter falling into the black hole.

3. What is dark matter?

Dark matter is a type of matter that makes up about 27% of the universe. It does not interact with light, making it invisible, but its presence can be inferred through its gravitational effects on visible matter.

4. Why is dark matter important?

Dark matter plays a crucial role in the structure and evolution of the universe. Without it, galaxies would not have enough mass to hold together and the universe would look very different. Studying dark matter can also provide insights into fundamental physics and the nature of the universe.

5. Can we see dark matter?

No, dark matter cannot be directly observed because it does not interact with light. However, scientists use various methods such as gravitational lensing and galaxy rotation curves to indirectly study its presence and distribution in the universe.

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