Escaping Black Holes: Is It Possible?

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SUMMARY

This discussion centers on the misconception that escape from a black hole is impossible once inside the event horizon. Participants clarify that while classical mechanics suggests an infinite force is required to escape, general relativity indicates that all worldlines within the event horizon lead to the singularity. The concept of Hawking radiation, introduced by Stephen Hawking, explains how black holes can evaporate over time, allowing energy and matter to escape, but not in a manner that would facilitate a spaceship's escape. The discussion emphasizes the importance of understanding general relativity over Newtonian physics when considering black holes.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of general relativity and its implications for black holes
  • Familiarity with Newtonian mechanics and escape velocity concepts
  • Basic knowledge of Hawking radiation and quantum mechanics
  • Concept of event horizons and singularities in astrophysics
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  • Research the principles of general relativity and its predictions regarding black holes
  • Study the concept of Hawking radiation and its role in black hole evaporation
  • Explore the differences between classical mechanics and relativistic physics
  • Investigate the implications of spacetime curvature near massive objects
USEFUL FOR

Astronomy enthusiasts, physicists, and students of astrophysics seeking to deepen their understanding of black holes and the fundamental laws of physics governing them.

  • #31
Zanket said:
The best way of thinking about it that I’ve seen is here:

Picture space as flowing like a river into the black hole.

While this picture does have many good points as far as visualizing what happens around a black hole, it does have one weak point. That is the fact that there is no way to measure the "flow of space". If it helps you understand how objects behave around Black Holes, great - but don't take it too literally, because there is no way to actually build a "space flowmeter". In fact, the principle of relativity prohibits one from building such a device, as it would be able to measure absolute velocities.
 

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