Derivation of Hawking Radiation

In summary, the conversation discusses the reliability of a source regarding the derivation of the Hawking Radiation equation and its relation to the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. The equation is derived using various equations for energy, distance, and temperature, and takes into account the direction and origin of virtual photons near a black hole. The final equation is T_H=\frac{\hbar \kappa}{2 \pi k_B c} where T_H is the Hawking temperature, \hbar is Planck's reduced constant, \kappa is the killing surface gravity of the black hole, k_B is the Boltzmann constant, and c is the speed of light.
  • #1
stevebd1
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I'm not quite sure how reliable http://library.thinkquest.org/C007571/english/advance/core4.htm" as a source but I thought it provided a good derivation for the Hawking Radiation equation relative to the Heisenberg uncertainty principle-

First the energy of the radiation is established-

[tex]E=m\cdot a \cdot d[/tex]

where m (in this case) represents the energy of the virtual photons, a is gravitational acceleration and d is distance covered by the virtual photons.[tex]d=c \cdot \Delta t[/tex]

[itex]\Delta t[/itex] is derived from the Heisenberg uncertainty principle-

[tex]\Delta E \Delta t=\frac{h}{4 \pi}\ \Rightarrow\ \Delta t=\frac{h}{4\pi \cdot \Delta E}[/tex]

energy of one photon is [itex]E=hf[/itex] where h is Planck's constant and f is frequency, for two photons- [itex]E=2 \cdot hf[/itex] and the equation for [itex]\Delta t [/itex] can be rewritten-

[tex]\Delta t=\frac{h}{4\pi \cdot \Delta E}=\frac{h}{4\pi \cdot 2 \cdot hf}=\frac{1}{8 \pi \cdot f}[/tex]

and d can be rewritten-

[tex]d=c \cdot \Delta t=\frac{c}{8\pi \cdot f}[/tex][tex]E=mc^2\ \Rightarrow\ m=\frac{E}{c^2}[/tex]

as previously established, [itex]E=2 \cdot hf[/itex] so m can be rewritten-

[tex]m= \frac{2\cdot hf}{c^2}[/tex]

and the equation for energy can be rewritten-

[tex]E=\frac{2\cdot hf}{c^2}\cdot a \cdot \frac{c}{8 \pi \cdot f}= \frac{ha}{4\pi c}[/tex]The average energy of a photon of black body radiation is-

[tex]E_{photon}\ \approx 2.821 \cdot k_B \cdot T[/tex]

where 2.821 relates to Wein's law for frequency of maximal spectral emittance, kB is the Boltzmann constant and T is the temperature of the black body.

'..this only calculate(s) the energy for virtual photons that are aligned radially to the black hole and that are originated at the event horizon. But all directions have to be considered and all pairs of virtual photons of which one reaches the Schwarzschild radius within it's lifetime can submit to the radiation...' based on this, the quantity of 2.821 is replaced with [itex]\pi[/itex] and the equation is rewritten-

[tex]E= \pi \cdot k_B \cdot T\ \Rightarrow\ T=\frac{E}{\pi k_B}[/tex]

substituting E from above and replacing h with Planck's reduced constant [itex](\hbar=h/2\pi)[/itex] we get-

[tex]T=\frac{E}{\pi k_B}=\frac{ah}{4\pi^2 k_B c}=\frac{a \hbar}{2 \pi k_B c}[/tex]

which is the equation for Hawking radiation where a would be replaced with [itex]\kappa[/itex], the killing surface gravity of the BH as observed from infinity-

[tex]T_H=\frac{\hbar \kappa}{2 \pi k_B c}[/tex]Source-
http://library.thinkquest.org/C007571/english/advance/core4.htm
 
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  • #2
Hawking's derivation is a little more rigorous, but, this is close enough.
 

1. What is Hawking Radiation?

Hawking Radiation is a theoretical phenomenon proposed by physicist Stephen Hawking in 1974. It suggests that black holes emit radiation due to quantum effects near the event horizon.

2. How is Hawking Radiation derived?

Hawking Radiation is derived using a combination of quantum field theory and general relativity. In simple terms, it involves analyzing virtual particles near the event horizon of a black hole and how they interact with the black hole's gravitational field.

3. What is the significance of Hawking Radiation?

Hawking Radiation has profound implications for our understanding of black holes and the laws of physics. It suggests that black holes are not completely black and can actually lose mass over time, eventually evaporating completely.

4. Are there any experimental observations of Hawking Radiation?

As of now, there have been no direct observations of Hawking Radiation. However, there have been some indirect observations that support its existence, such as the detection of X-ray emissions near black holes.

5. How does Hawking Radiation affect the lifespan of a black hole?

Hawking Radiation has a significant impact on the lifespan of a black hole. The smaller the black hole, the faster it will evaporate due to Hawking Radiation. It is estimated that a black hole with the mass of the Sun would take about 10^67 years to completely evaporate.

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