Black Holes & Hawking Radiation: Time Paused in Gravity?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concepts of black holes, Hawking radiation, and the nature of time in extreme gravitational fields. Participants explore the implications of black hole evaporation, the perception of time near black holes, and the challenges of visualizing these phenomena.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests that if Hawking radiation occurs in a black hole, the process might be perceived as paused due to the effects of gravity on time, raising questions about the nature of time during this process.
  • Another participant clarifies that the calculations for Hawking radiation are based on the perspective of an observer far from the black hole, noting that for large black holes, the evaporation process appears very slow due to their low temperature.
  • A further response indicates that locally, at the position of the black hole, time passes normally and does not stop, which contrasts with the perception of time from a distant observer's viewpoint.
  • Some participants express difficulty in visualizing the concepts discussed, highlighting the limitations of human experience in understanding phenomena at cosmological and quantum scales.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the nature of time near black holes and the implications for Hawking radiation, indicating that multiple competing perspectives remain unresolved.

Contextual Notes

The discussion touches on the dependence of time perception on the observer's location relative to the black hole, and the complexities involved in visualizing extreme physical phenomena, which may not be fully addressed.

Abishek
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In the view of Hawking radiation and entropy of black holes, the evaporation is continuous and at one point, there will be no singularity for the black hole. By relativity, if we reach a super massive black hole, then time would be relatively slowed down to a point that it stops (maybe?). Now, if there is no "time" for occurrence of Hawking radiation, then how does it actually occur? Even if it did occur, then will it not be a very slow process?

P.S: I am ready for the stabs of cruel physics professors now...
 
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The formulas are calculated for time as seen by an observer far away - for large black holes, it is a very slow process because the temperature is tiny, but for small black holes it is fast.
 
To expand just slightly on mfb's response, what he has pointed out indirectly is that LOCALLY, at the position of the black hole, time passes normally, it does not slow down much less stop.
 
It's hard to visualize...
 
Abishek said:
It's hard to visualize...
We humans have evolved in an INCREDIBLY limited range of physical phenomena so there are TONS of things in cosmology (the very large) and quantum mechanics (the very small) that we find "hard to visualize" (and a lot of it just flat hard to believe).
 

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