How do black holes radiate if nothing can escape?

In summary, black holes can emit Hawking radiation due to vacuum fluctuations causing a particle-antiparticle pair to appear near the event horizon. One particle falls into the black hole while the other escapes, causing the black hole to lose mass. This process, known as Hawking radiation, allows black holes to radiate and appear as though they are emitting particles to an outside observer.
  • #1
2sin54
109
1
Hi. So, as title says, how can black holes radiate if nothing can escape from them?
 
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  • #2
Radiate what?
 
  • #3
Well, what about Hawking radiation? Black holes have to lose their mass in some way, but how can they emit something?
 
  • #4
A slightly more precise, but still much simplified, view of the process is that vacuum fluctuations cause a particle-antiparticle pair to appear close to the event horizon of a black hole. One of the pair falls into the black hole whilst the other escapes. In order to preserve total energy, the particle that fell into the black hole must have had a negative energy (with respect to an observer far away from the black hole). By this process, the black hole loses mass, and, to an outside observer, it would appear that the black hole has just emitted a particle.
From Wikipedia

Wikipedia has a decent explanation in the first couple paragraphs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawking_radiation
 
  • #5
Because the radiation is from outside the event horizon, in short.
 

1. How do black holes radiate if nothing can escape?

Black holes are known for their intense gravitational pull, which is so strong that even light cannot escape. However, black holes do radiate energy through a process known as Hawking radiation.

2. What is Hawking radiation?

Hawking radiation is a type of radiation that is emitted by black holes. It is named after renowned physicist Stephen Hawking, who first proposed its existence in 1974. It is a result of quantum effects near the event horizon, the point of no return for objects entering a black hole.

3. How does Hawking radiation work?

Hawking radiation is created when pairs of particles and antiparticles are spontaneously generated near the event horizon of a black hole. One particle is pulled into the black hole, while the other escapes as radiation. This results in a gradual loss of mass for the black hole.

4. Can Hawking radiation eventually cause a black hole to disappear?

Yes, Hawking radiation can cause a black hole to lose mass over time and eventually evaporate. However, this process is extremely slow for most black holes, and it would take trillions of years for a black hole the size of our sun to evaporate.

5. Can Hawking radiation be observed?

Hawking radiation is very difficult to observe directly, as it is very weak and is emitted in the form of particles that are difficult to detect. However, scientists have observed effects that are consistent with Hawking radiation, such as changes in the rotational speed of black holes.

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