Is the range of EM forc affected by Black Hole Gravity

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the impact of black hole gravity on the range of electromagnetic (EM) forces, particularly through the lens of quantum electrodynamics (QED). Participants clarify that while virtual photons are involved in EM interactions, photons emitted from black holes, known as Hawking radiation, are real and follow geodesics influenced by gravitational fields. The conversation highlights that although photons are massless, their energy and frequency are affected by the intense gravitational pull of black holes, leading to a complex relationship between gravity and EM radiation. Key texts such as "The Black Hole War" by Leonard Susskind and various relativistic black hole solutions are recommended for further exploration.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of quantum electrodynamics (QED)
  • Familiarity with black hole physics and Hawking radiation
  • Knowledge of general relativity and geodesics
  • Basic concepts of electromagnetic fields and their behavior in gravitational fields
NEXT STEPS
  • Read "The Black Hole War" by Leonard Susskind for insights on black holes and EM interactions
  • Study the Schwarzschild solution and its implications on electromagnetic radiation
  • Explore the Reissner–Nordström metric and its effects on EM fields
  • Investigate the Kerr and Kerr–Newman metrics for a deeper understanding of rotating black holes
USEFUL FOR

Physicists, astrophysicists, and students interested in the interplay between gravity and electromagnetic forces, particularly in the context of black hole physics and quantum mechanics.

kista
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The electromagnetic field is mediated by virtual photons according to QED. These virtual photons, by virtue of being massive, should respond to Gravity. Therefore, in the presence of strong gravity such as that of a black hole range of EM force should be affected because very few virtual photons would manage to travel a large distance.
Can anyone tell me books/papers related to any such effect.
 
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Can anyone tell me books/papers related to any such effect.

I'm going to disagree with your basic premise(s) as you have stated it: There is nothing "virtual" about a photon emitted from a black hole...it's just like any other photon... it's "Hawking radiation" (or "black hole evaporation") and you can read about it via those names...which is all we can observe...but Hawking radiation has never been obvserved. It is based on quantum reasoning.

Photons are massless, but having energy (and momentum) do respond to a gravitational field...photons follow geodesics so they get curved in the presence of gravitational potential. A black hole has HUGE gravity, the most that a given volume can hold, so its EM fields outside the event horizon are also HUGE.

If a virtual photon pair appears just outside the event horizon of a black hole, and one is gobbled up by the black hole, the remaining photon is REAL. I don't think an isolated virtual photon has ever been detected, nor do we expect to ever do so. A photon always travels at the speed of light (locally) but as it moves away from a black hole it's frequency (and energy) is reduced...but it still moves at c locally. You could argue that the curvature due to the black hole causes it to take a different classical path, so maybe it takes longer to get to a given point, but all electromagnetic radiation has infinite reach.

A popular text, minimal math, that discusses black holes, horizons, information, virtual particles and such is THE BLACK HOLE WAR by Leonard Susskind..a founder of the holographic principle...the war was with Stephen Hawking.

If none of the above is what you were seeking, you might check out the four relativistic black hole solutions: Schwarzschild solution, Reissner–Nordström metric , Kerr metric, Kerr–Newman metric...
These have been discussed here on Physics Forums and you can find an introduction here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwarzschild_metric
Be sure to read SEE ALSO at the bottom of the above reference...

Maybe somebody knows how these solutions affect electromagnetic radiation mathematically...mathematically/specifically...we generally consider electromagnetic and gravitation fields as varying the inverse of distance squared...don't know exactly how these might be affected by the above solutions...anybody??
 
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