Two black holes colliding - visual

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the visual phenomena associated with the collision of two black holes, specifically under the framework of General Relativity (GR). Participants explore theoretical outcomes of such collisions, considering simplified models of black holes and their accretion disks, while questioning the observable effects from an external perspective.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests that as two non-rotating black holes approach each other, the accretion disks would meet, and the black holes would never be seen to combine.
  • Another participant counters that the black holes would pass through each other and eventually merge, with the matter from the accretion disks being scattered and re-accreted.
  • Concerns are raised about the implications of removing orbital components from the black holes' motion and how that would affect the observable collision dynamics.
  • It is noted that when black holes get close, their event horizons would swell to encompass both, but this phenomenon would not be visible to an external observer due to light not escaping from within the horizon.
  • Participants discuss the possibility of inferring the merging of black holes through light distortion from background objects, despite not being able to see the black holes directly.
  • Questions are posed about whether objects near the black holes would appear to freeze as the event horizon expands, with references to the rapid drop in emitted light from objects near the horizon.
  • Some participants clarify that while light cannot escape from a black hole, the effects of gravitational redshift could allow for indirect observations of the merging process.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the observable effects of black hole collisions, with no consensus reached on the specifics of what an external observer would see. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the implications of orbital motion and the visibility of merging black holes.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the assumptions made about the black holes being non-rotating and the simplifications regarding their accretion disks. The discussion also highlights the complexities of visualizing phenomena near event horizons and the effects of gravitational redshift.

  • #31
rootone said:
Although if you did fall in, your career as solipsist is guaranteed to end in the near future.
Yes of course, because as they say, "publish or perish", and that darned E.H. makes publishing impossible. Therefore, there's only one outcome possible.
 
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  • #32
As a layman, I would think the two holes would resist each other. Assuming the are pulling with equal force gravity, I think they would remain in a stale-mate situation until they drifted by each other. If one was stronger, it would simply devour the weaker one.
 
  • #33
Sue Rich said:
As a layman, I would think the two holes would resist each other. Assuming the are pulling with equal force gravity, I think they would remain in a stale-mate situation until they drifted by each other. If one was stronger, it would simply devour the weaker one.
Your 'stalemate' situation is in practice that they end up for a long time in a mutual orbit. just as as the case with normal binary star systems.
Eventually (a long time), some of the angular momentum in the system can be lost for a variety of reasons, so the orbiting gets closer and faster.
There comes a point where the event horizons would be overlapping, but since that can't actually happen they then merge into one bigger black hole.
 
  • #34
Sue Rich said:
I would think the two holes would resist each other.

I'm not sure why you would think this. Black holes have attractive gravity, just like other gravitating objects. They do not repel each other.
 

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