Some Question About Blackholes

[Playdo]

I just saw a wonderful NOVA special called "Monster of the Milky Way". Very well done, and I noticed how the models the have are so much better at giving us a sense of the movements of stars and galaxies over time. We really have come a long way in the last 30 years. I was left with a few questions though.

1) The claimed that black holes get started as a Red Giant collapses goes supernova and then leaves behind a neutron star, but above a certain mass the nuetrons collapse and a black hole is left. Does this mean that matter may exist in the black hole except on the level of quarks?

2) The super massive black hole at the center of our galaxy is said to be ten million miles across. Since canabalism seems to be the order of the day, if the entire universe contracted back into a black hole, what would be the diameter of the event horizon? Could it become so large in fact that matter might continue to exist inside the threshold for a significant amount of time?

3) We look back now an claim Big Bang. But what if we are in a congealing jet from the north or south pole of a hypermassive black hole that got hungry at about the time we think the knowable universe began? Coud that hypermassive creature still lie at the center of the universe far beyond our ability to ever percieve it using current techniques?

 

[Phobos]

(1) Once inside the black hole, all matter becomes part of the singularity.
(2) If the entire universe (all space and time) were in a black hole, then there would be no outside space to measure against. If you mean all matter in the universe, then I suppose we would first need to figure out how much matter there is. (a debate whether the universe is infinite or not?)
(3) But then wouldn't we see everything moving in the same general direction? (we don't)

 

[sir-pinski]

1) Yes, it is believed that matter can exist in a black hole on the level of quarks. However, due to the extreme gravitational pull of a black hole, matter inside is compressed to an infinitely small point known as a singularity. This is where the laws of physics, including our understanding of matter, break down.

2) The diameter of the event horizon of a black hole is directly related to its mass. As the universe is constantly expanding, it is unlikely that it would ever contract back into a single black hole. However, in theory, if the entire observable universe were to collapse into a black hole, its event horizon would be approximately 93 billion light years in diameter. It is unlikely that matter would continue to exist inside the threshold for a significant amount of time, as it would be pulled towards the singularity at the center of the black hole.

3) This is a fascinating idea and one that has been explored in science fiction. However, it is currently not supported by scientific evidence. The Big Bang theory is the most widely accepted explanation for the origin of the universe and is supported by extensive observations and evidence. While it is always possible that new discoveries and theories may change our understanding of the universe, at this time, there is no evidence to suggest that the universe is a "congealing jet" from a hypermassive black hole.