Schwarzschild coordinates beyond the event horizon

In summary, Schwarzschild coordinates are a coordinate system used to describe the space-time around a non-rotating, spherically symmetric mass. They were first introduced by Karl Schwarzschild in 1916 in his solution to Einstein's field equations of general relativity. The event horizon is the boundary around a black hole beyond which nothing, including light, can escape. Schwarzschild coordinates break down beyond the event horizon and cannot accurately describe the space-time within it. Inside the event horizon, time becomes a spatial dimension and objects move towards the center of the black hole. Nothing can escape from inside the event horizon due to the strong gravitational pull, making it the "point of no return."
  • #1
Afonso Campos
29
0
We can write down the metric of the Schwarzschild black hole in Schwarzschild coordinates.

Which aspect of the metric in Schwarzschild coordinates indicates that the coordinates are only valid outside the event horizon?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
Afonso Campos said:
Which aspect of the metric in Schwarzschild coordinates indicates that the coordinates are only valid outside the event horizon?
None - they're valid inside the event horizon as well as outside. They are singular at the event horizon (##g_{tt}## is zero and ##g_{rr}## goes to infinity) so aren't valid there.
 
  • Like
Likes Afonso Campos
  • #3
Got it! Thanks!
 

1. What are Schwarzschild coordinates?

Schwarzschild coordinates are a coordinate system used to describe the space-time around a non-rotating, spherically symmetric mass. They were first introduced by the German physicist Karl Schwarzschild in 1916 in his solution to Einstein's field equations of general relativity.

2. What is the event horizon?

The event horizon is the boundary around a black hole beyond which nothing, including light, can escape. It is the point of no return for anything that gets too close to the black hole, as the gravitational pull becomes too strong for even light to escape.

3. Can Schwarzschild coordinates be used beyond the event horizon?

No, Schwarzschild coordinates break down beyond the event horizon as they become singular. This means that they cannot accurately describe the space-time within the event horizon. Alternative coordinate systems, such as Kruskal-Szekeres coordinates, are used to describe the space-time within the event horizon.

4. What happens to time inside the event horizon?

Inside the event horizon, time becomes a spatial dimension. This means that objects inside the event horizon move towards the singularity (the center of the black hole) in the same way that objects move through space, rather than experiencing the progression of time as we do outside the event horizon.

5. Can anything escape from inside the event horizon?

No, once an object crosses the event horizon, it is impossible for it to escape. The gravitational pull is too strong for anything, including light, to overcome. This is why the event horizon is often referred to as the "point of no return."

Similar threads

  • Special and General Relativity
Replies
11
Views
1K
  • Special and General Relativity
Replies
30
Views
2K
  • Special and General Relativity
Replies
5
Views
507
  • Special and General Relativity
Replies
4
Views
394
  • Special and General Relativity
Replies
26
Views
382
Replies
13
Views
640
  • Special and General Relativity
Replies
9
Views
1K
  • Special and General Relativity
2
Replies
43
Views
2K
  • Special and General Relativity
2
Replies
45
Views
2K
  • Special and General Relativity
2
Replies
35
Views
1K
Back
Top