Does a Star's Fuel Running Out Lead to a Black Hole or Stellar Plasma?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the fate of a star when its fuel runs out, specifically whether it leads to the formation of a black hole or a state of stellar plasma. Participants explore concepts related to temperature-gravity equilibrium, gravitational collapse, and the nature of singularities, engaging in both theoretical and speculative reasoning.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants propose that when a star's fuel is exhausted, gravity overcomes other forces, leading to collapse, but question how temperature impacts this process.
  • Others argue that the concept of a "singularity" is a mathematical representation that does not correspond to physical reality, suggesting that current models break down at this point.
  • A few participants suggest that a phase change or a new stable state might occur during collapse, with ideas like "quark stars" being mentioned as a possible outcome, although lacking empirical evidence.
  • There is a discussion about the effective escape velocity exceeding the speed of light, implying that once within the Schwarzschild radius, nothing can escape, including light.
  • Some participants express uncertainty about what happens inside a black hole and suggest that current theories do not adequately predict the conditions there.
  • Several comments emphasize that the existence of quark stars remains hypothetical and requires further understanding of exotic matter and physics not yet established.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the nature of the collapse or the fate of the star. Multiple competing views are presented regarding the role of temperature, the meaning of singularities, and the possibility of alternative states like quark stars.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the dependence on current theoretical frameworks, unresolved questions about the behavior of matter under extreme conditions, and the lack of empirical evidence for proposed states like quark stars.

  • #31
Jonathan Scott said:
The mathematics of GR extends beyond the event horizon, and says that the shape of space-time is such that there are no possible paths forward in time which stay in one place. Every possible path ends up in the singularity after a limited time.

I find it really helpful to use Penrose diagrams when thinking about this kind of thing. My book Relativity for Poets has a nonmathematical introduction to Penrose diagrams in section 11.5.
 
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  • #32
Arceus74 said:
doesnt string theory explain how the universe began?

"String theory" isn't really one theory, it's a whole infinite set of "theories" (meaning models of the universe). So it currently doesn't give a single explanation of how the universe began. Nor does it give, at this point, a single explanation of what happens inside a black hole, which is what you originally asked about in this thread. If you want to ask about how the universe began, you should start a new thread in the cosmology forum (but be aware that, as I've said, we don't currently have a single good answer to that question, all you'll get are our best current hypotheses).
 
  • #33
The trouble with string theory is that while it's really elegant, there is no more evidence of it being true than the theory that there is a god.
 
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  • #34
rootone said:
The trouble with string theory is that while it's really elegant, there is no more evidence of it being true than the theory that there is a god.
Discussion of string theory would be more on topic in a separate thread in the BTSM forum.
 
  • #35
Thread closed temporarily for Moderation...
 
  • #36
Some overly speculative posts have been deleted. The thread appears to have run its course and will remain closed.
 

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