Can Black Holes Consume the Entire Universe?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Aeronaut
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Black hole Hole
AI Thread Summary
Black holes theoretically could consume all matter in the universe, but practical limits exist due to energy constraints and the nature of matter's interaction with black holes. If all matter were condensed into a single massive black hole, it would not shrink rapidly due to Hawking radiation, as larger black holes evaporate much slower than smaller ones. The evaporation time for a solar mass black hole is approximately 10^67 years, increasing with mass. The conditions of the universe before the Big Bang remain unknown and cannot be directly compared to a singularity formed by black hole consumption. The discussion reflects curiosity about astrophysics and the complexities of black hole behavior.
Aeronaut
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
I'm a newbie to astrophysics you could say, and I have had a few questions lingering around in my head.
So in this situation the universe hasn't been destroyed yet, but much of it has been "eaten" by black holes.

Question 1: Is it possible for BH's to swallow all matter in the universe, or would there be an energy limit/ other limits?

Question 2: If it is possible for question 1 to occur, then if all matter has been condensed into one massive black hole would it shrink rapidly due to Hawking's radiation (I'm not to sure about how Hawking's radiation works)?

Question 3: Since the universe has been reduced to a singularity, would this be similar to the universe pre Big Bang? If so, then would it have infinite temp and density?

I understand if this sounds completely asinine to some of the experts/vets here.
 
Astronomy news on Phys.org
1) Hypothetically I see nothing preventing it, as long as you are talking about matter that can be in causal contact with the black hole. However this is in no way a realistic scenario.

2) No. More massive black holes evaporate slower than lower mass black holes. The evaporation time scale for a solar mass black hole is about 10^67 years, and this time scale goes up with the cube of the mass.

3) We don't know, right now, what the universe was like before the big bang (or even if that is a sensible question to ask), so there is no way to compare that to anything else.
 
Thanks guys, it was just something that bugged me for a while.
I'll be sure to pick up a few books about astrophysics for leisure, it's pretty interesting.
 
3I/ATLAS, also known as C/2025 N1 (ATLAS) and formerly designated as A11pl3Z, is an iinterstellar comet. It was discovered by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) station at Río Hurtado, Chile on 1 July 2025. Note: it was mentioned (as A11pl3Z) by DaveE in a new member's introductory thread. https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/brian-cox-lead-me-here.1081670/post-7274146 https://earthsky.org/space/new-interstellar-object-candidate-heading-toward-the-sun-a11pl3z/ One...
Is a homemade radio telescope realistic? There seems to be a confluence of multiple technologies that makes the situation better than when I was a wee lad: software-defined radio (SDR), the easy availability of satellite dishes, surveillance drives, and fast CPUs. Let's take a step back - it is trivial to see the sun in radio. An old analog TV, a set of "rabbit ears" antenna, and you're good to go. Point the antenna at the sun (i.e. the ears are perpendicular to it) and there is...
Back
Top