Vaporizing Black Holes: Does It Really Happen?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of black holes and their potential to vaporize through Hawking radiation. Participants explore the implications of this phenomenon, the time scales involved in black hole evaporation, and the theoretical underpinnings of Hawking radiation, including its observational status and the role of quantum gravity.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants assert that black holes vaporize by losing mass through Hawking radiation, which leads to faster evaporation as they decrease in size.
  • There is a question regarding the certainty of the vaporization process, with some participants asking if there is any possibility of error in the theory.
  • One participant notes that Hawking radiation has not been observationally confirmed, although there are reasons to believe it is correct.
  • Some participants mention the idea that black holes may leave behind a relic at the Planck mass, but this remains uncertain and is thought to depend on theories of quantum gravity.
  • There are inquiries about the current status of quantum gravity theories and where to find recent developments on the topic.
  • One participant expresses a desire for alternative viewpoints on the hypothesis of black hole evaporation, questioning if there is significant room for error in the theory.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express uncertainty regarding the observational confirmation of Hawking radiation and the implications of black hole evaporation. Multiple competing views remain about the certainty of the theory and the existence of alternative hypotheses.

Contextual Notes

Some discussions highlight limitations in the current understanding of quantum gravity and the dependence of black hole evaporation on this theoretical framework. There are also references to speculative ideas, such as electrons being nano black holes, which are not widely accepted.

varsha
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does this mean they really 'stop'. vaporize means 'decrease rapidly and disappear'. i know that. but i just want to be sure. please tell me if a BH really vaporizes. oh,and can you tell me what this means---'A 3 Msun black hole would require about 1063(10 raised to 63) years to completely evaporate'. what does M stand for in Msun?
 
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varsha said:
does this mean they really 'stop'. vaporize means 'decrease rapidly and disappear'. i know that. but i just want to be sure. please tell me if a BH really vaporizes. oh,and can you tell me what this means---'A 3 Msun black hole would require about 1063(10 raised to 63) years to completely evaporate'. what does M stand for in Msun?
Black holes vaporize when they lose all their mass through hawking radiation. They 'evaporate' so to speak. As they get smaller, the evaporate faster.

[tex]M_{sun}[/tex] stands for the mass of the sun, usually in kilograms. In place of the word sun there will sometimes be a circle with a dot in the center, means the same thing.
 
franznietzsche said:
Black holes vaporize when they lose all their mass through hawking radiation. They 'evaporate' so to speak. As they get smaller, the evaporate faster.
[tex]M_{sun}[/tex] stands for the mass of the sun, usually in kilograms. In place of the word sun there will sometimes be a circle with a dot in the center, means the same thing.
thanks for that info!
 
Is this an absolutely for sure thing? Is there any possibility of error in this hypothesis/theory?
 
ubavontuba said:
Is this an absolutely for sure thing? Is there any possibility of error in this hypothesis/theory?

Hawking radiation from black holes has not be observationally confirmed, if that's what you're getting at. However, we have good reasons to think it's correct. Also, some folks think black holes will radiate until they reach the Planck mass, leaving behind a tiny relic. This is uncertain, though, and should depend on our theory of quantum gravity.
 
Space Tiger said:
This is uncertain, though, and should depend on our theory of quantum gravity.
Do we have one yet? And/or, where do I find the "most recent" developments? (links?)
 
Labguy said:
Do we have one yet? And/or, where do I find the "most recent" developments? (links?)

I suggest a perusing of the https://www.physicsforums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=66" forum. There are a lot of discussions and links on the topic. I'm afraid I know very little about the subject.
 
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SpaceTiger said:
Hawking radiation from black holes has not be observationally confirmed, if that's what you're getting at. However, we have good reasons to think it's correct. Also, some folks think black holes will radiate until they reach the Planck mass, leaving behind a tiny relic. This is uncertain, though, and should depend on our theory of quantum gravity.

No, I'm not really getting at observational evidence (that's supposed to come when the http://lhc.web.cern.ch/lhc/general/gen_info.htm" comes on line). I'm more inclined to read opinions on the soundness of the hypothesis itself. Is there room for error? Is this room significant? That is to say; if black holes exist, must they evaporate?

I've seen lots of information in support of the hypothesis, but little to refute it. It seems that in the interest of good science, scientists would seek plausible alternatives in order to better verify the hypothesis.

As I recall, Brain Greene had hypothesized that electrons might be nano black holes. Here's an http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?method=4&dsid=2222&dekey=Black+hole+electron&gwp=8&curtab=2222_1&linktext=electron%20black%20hole" . According to my information though, this concept isn't taken very seriously.

Labguy said:
Do we have one yet (a quantum gravity theory)? And/or, where do I find the "most recent" developments? (links?)

Here's an http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:...wiki/Quantum_gravity+"Quantum+gravity"&hl=en".
 
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SpaceTiger said:
I suggest a perusing of the https://www.physicsforums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=66" forum. There are a lot of discussions and links on the topic. I'm afraid I know very little about the subject.
I'll go there (haven't yet) but I really don't want to have to read any more about Brian Greene and String Theory...
I have about everything he (Greene) has published and I wish I could get 15 cents on the dollar for what I spent for them.:cry:
 
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