Gravity at the Event Horizon of a Black Hole

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of acceleration due to gravity at the event horizon of a black hole, exploring theoretical implications and interpretations from both classical and relativistic perspectives. It includes technical reasoning and conceptual clarifications regarding the nature of gravity in extreme conditions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants argue that the question of acceleration due to gravity at the event horizon is based on an invalid premise, as the event horizon is not a location where one can hover.
  • Others propose that the gravitational field at the event horizon must be strong enough to prevent light from escaping, suggesting that the acceleration due to gravity would be the same for any black hole regardless of size.
  • It is noted that an object falling into a black hole experiences no force except tidal forces, and its proper acceleration cannot be measured at the event horizon.
  • One participant claims that the proper acceleration required to remain at rest above the horizon increases without limit as one approaches the event horizon.
  • Another participant calculates that this would imply an infinite acceleration, which they argue would require an infinite mass.
  • A later reply challenges the assertion that infinite mass is necessary, stating that the acceleration statement holds true for any black hole of finite mass.
  • Concerns are raised about the validity of a personal theory linked in the discussion, with a participant noting that it is not peer-reviewed and thus not considered a valid reference.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the nature of gravity at the event horizon, with no consensus reached on the validity of the original question or the implications of the calculations presented.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved assumptions regarding the definitions of acceleration and gravity in the context of black holes, as well as the implications of infinite acceleration and mass in theoretical models.

RobertsMrtn
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TL;DR
The gravitational field of a Black Hole at the Event Horizon would have to be of sufficient strength to prevent light from escaping. The strength of the field would have to be the same for any Black Hole regardless of size. What would be the acceleration due to gravity at this point?
Acceleration due to gravity at the Event Horizon of a Black Hole.
 
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Not a question that makes sense, unfortunately. What Newton would call "the acceleration due to gravity", Einstein would call "the proper acceleration required to hover at constant radius". You can't hover at the event horizon (it isn't even really a place in the ordinary sense of the word - it's an outgoing null surface) so your question is based on an invalid premise.
 
Last edited:
RobertsMrtn said:
Summary:: The gravitational field of a Black Hole at the Event Horizon would have to be of sufficient strength to prevent light from escaping. The strength of the field would have to be the same for any Black Hole regardless of size. What would be the acceleration due to gravity at this point?

Acceleration due to gravity at the Event Horizon of a Black Hole.

To expand on what @Ibix said. If an object is falling to Earth, then it experiences no force. An object sitting on the surface of the Earth, however, experiences an upward force from the surface preventing it falling any further. The acceleration due to gravity, therefore, is the acceleration of a falling object in the reference frame of something at rest relative to the surface of the Earth. It's really the proper acceleration of the object on the surface that is being measured!

The same is true when an object falls into a black hole. It experiences no force (except so-called tidal forces). It has no intrinsic or proper acceleration. Its acceleration could be measured by an object at rest relative to the black hole. As one gets closer to the black hole, the force and proper acceleration required to remain at rest relative to the black hole increases without limit. Again, it is that acceleration that is really being measured. And, at the event horizon itself, it is impossible for an object to remain at rest on the horizon, so there is no way to measure an acceleration of an infalling object.
 
PeroK said:
As one gets closer to the black hole, the force and proper acceleration required to remain at rest relative to the black hole increases without limit.
I would say that this is the direct answer to @RobertsMrtn’s question.
 
Thank you for your reply. According to my calculations, the acceleration would have to be infinite which would require an infinite mass. See my paper here. <personal theory link deleted>
 
RobertsMrtn said:
the acceleration would have to be infinite

More precisely, the proper acceleration required to maintain a constant altitude above the horizon increases without bound as the altitude goes to zero. Yes, this is well known.

RobertsMrtn said:
which would require an infinite mass

This, however, is wrong. The above statement about the acceleration is true for any black hole of any finite mass.

RobertsMrtn said:
See my paper here.

Your paper is not peer-reviewed, and such papers are generally not considered valid references for discussion here at PF. Based on a quick read through of your paper, that policy is certainly justified in this particular case.
 
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RobertsMrtn said:
According to my calculations

Since you evidently did not start this thread to actually get an answer to your question or to understand the correct answer, this thread is closed.
 

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