# Can atoms and baryons exist inside a black hole?

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## Main Question or Discussion Point

In the way I naively imagine a black hole's interior there are event horizons all the way down, and any material object of whatever size will straddle many event horizons. So, with both atoms and baryons, there cannot be any interaction between their components. Consequently, at the moment of passage through the outermost event horizon of the black hole, matter will dissociate into isolated particles. I can see a problem with the idea of isolated quarks, but the QCD model of quark confinement does rely on interactions that seem to me banned in this place.

I reason like this: at any location inside the black hole a photon or gluon, or anything else, can only move in directions that take it closer to the singularity. Particles in an atom need to interact in all directions in order to behave as though they experience the kind of binding that results in a composite object. That rules out the existence of composite objects.

## Answers and Replies

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Orodruin
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In the way I naively imagine a black hole's interior there are event horizons all the way down, and any material object of whatever size will straddle many event horizons.
Then get rid of that imagination. There is only one event horizon. Your implication that the $r$ coordinate can only increase once you are inside the event horizon is correct. However, it should be noted that it does not mean what you probably think it means, the $r$ coordinate is a time-coordinate inside the event horizon.

So, with both atoms and baryons, there cannot be any interaction between their components.
This is not correct. There will be nothing stationary inside the black hole, but this does not prevent atoms and their constituents from interacting - they are all falling together! You do not stop them from interacting any more than particles going forward in time stops them from interacting.

Consequently, at the moment of passage through the outermost event horizon of the black hole, matter will dissociate into isolated particles.
This is therefore not correct.

PeterDonis
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the rrr coordinate can only increase once you are inside the event horizon
I think you mean "decrease".

Orodruin
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