What Would Happen if a Photon Was Caught Between Two Colliding Black Holes?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion explores the hypothetical scenario of a photon caught between two colliding black holes, focusing on the behavior of the photon in relation to the black holes' event horizons. Participants consider various aspects of quantum mechanics, gravitational effects, and the implications of such a scenario.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions what would happen to a photon positioned at the overlap of two colliding black holes' event horizons, suggesting it could be red-shifted or blue-shifted.
  • Another participant proposes that a photon is delocalized and in a superposition, indicating that if it were to be between the black holes, it could potentially go towards either black hole with a classical outcome of 50/50.
  • A participant challenges the idea of the photon going both ways, seeking clarification on the concept of superposition.
  • One response suggests that while it is unlikely for a photon to travel exactly between the black holes without being influenced by their gravitational pull, if it were to do so, its wave properties would be stretched and disrupted, potentially changing its color.
  • This participant also mentions the influence of tidal forces and gravity currents from the moving black holes, arguing that these factors would likely cause the photon to fall into one of the black holes.
  • Another participant expresses interest in understanding the superposition concept further and introduces the variable of Hawking radiation, although they believe it is unlikely for the photon to escape without being altered.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the behavior of the photon, with some supporting the idea of superposition and others emphasizing the effects of gravitational forces. The discussion remains unresolved, with multiple competing perspectives on the scenario.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include assumptions about the behavior of photons in strong gravitational fields, the effects of tidal forces, and the influence of black hole motion. The discussion does not resolve the complexities of these interactions.

cragar
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This may be a dumb ? , but what would happen if two black holes were coming together and when they were coming together we got a photon extremely close to their event horizons , and when the came together the photon was right on the overlap of their event horizons which way would the photon go , or maybe we could shoot electrons an positrons right in between the black holes and get the emitted photons right on the overlap of their event horizons ,
I realize this is a vary tricky scenario if not impossible scenario but i would like some responses , I mean the forces couldn't just cancel because we can't stop or slow down a photon , would the photon be red-shifted or blue shifted .
 
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Photon is delocolized and quantum, inherently. If it happens to be heading towards one of the black holes, it will keep going towards it. If it tried to squeeze just between them, but doesn't quite make it, it will go both ways, being in superposition of being absorbed by one black hole and the other. Classical outcome will be 50/50 of it going one way or the other.
 
how can it go both ways
 
Quantum physics. Superposition, basically.
 
cragar said:
This may be a dumb ? , but what would happen if two black holes were coming together and when they were coming together we got a photon extremely close to their event horizons , and when the came together the photon was right on the overlap of their event horizons which way would the photon go , or maybe we could shoot electrons an positrons right in between the black holes and get the emitted photons right on the overlap of their event horizons ,
I realize this is a vary tricky scenario if not impossible scenario but i would like some responses , I mean the forces couldn't just cancel because we can't stop or slow down a photon , would the photon be red-shifted or blue shifted .

good question


may I suggest something?

while it is way way unlikely that the photon will go exactly between the two without first being dragged in one direction or the other during the initial approach (toward the black holes), I think that in the circumstance of the photons that could make it to the middle, would simple have their wave properties stretched and disrupted. Assuming it goes through he middle on a trajectory that would take it away from the black hole's.

it would look like this- If I shoot a few photons in this "in between" trajectory, I think the light wave property of the photon, would be stretched otu between the two black holes. This would result (obviously) in the permanent changing of colour, if not complete dispersal of the wave itself due to gravametric tidal forces (which, by the way, I am also not accounting for the gravity currents (like water currents) the gravity of two obviously very moving black hole's (the speed of rotation for these two bodies would cause this photon to more likely fall into either holeupon closer approach- and if the black holes weren't moving too much to begin with, they will have tidal forces exchanged between them in their approach)

I would for sure love to learn more about why the other guy though they would split into two photons in superposition though.

Also, I should mention that I haven't mentioned the possible variable of hawking radiation. In the end though, while possible, I think it very unlikely this photon would get through without being stretched into a different colour.
 

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