Why should Hawking radiation decrease a black hole's size?

In summary, near a black hole's horizon, particle-antiparticle pairs can be created and one of them can be sucked in while the other radiates off as energy. This process decreases the black hole's mass over time due to the famous equation E = mc2. The creation of these virtual pairs also takes energy from the black hole, resulting in a permanent loss of half of the stolen energy. This explains why the black hole's mass decreases over time instead of increasing.
  • #1
nhmllr
185
1
So from what I understand when the particle anti-particle pairs that are constantly being created and annihilated come into existence near a black hole's horizon, the nearer one can get sucked in while the further one can radiate off as though it were heat. And this radiation of energy decreases that black holes mass over time, because of E = mc2

But what about the other particle that went into the singularity. Shouldn't the mass increase?

Thanks.
 
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  • #2
The creation of a virtual pair of particles takes enough energy from the black hole to create them. Since only one of the pair falls back in, half of the stolen energy has now been permanently lost from the black hole.
 
  • #3
Drakkith said:
The creation of a virtual pair of particles takes enough energy from the black hole to create them. Since only one of the pair falls back in, half of the stolen energy has now been permanently lost from the black hole.

Ohh... that kinda makes sense. Wow, that actually makes a lot of sense. Thanks.
 

1. How does Hawking radiation cause a black hole to decrease in size?

Hawking radiation is a phenomenon proposed by physicist Stephen Hawking that states that black holes emit radiation due to quantum effects near the event horizon. This radiation carries away energy from the black hole, causing it to gradually decrease in size over time.

2. Can Hawking radiation completely evaporate a black hole?

According to Hawking's theory, a black hole will gradually lose mass and eventually evaporate completely due to Hawking radiation. However, this process can take an extremely long time, especially for larger black holes, and it has not yet been observed in practice.

3. How does the size of a black hole affect the rate of Hawking radiation?

The rate of Hawking radiation is inversely proportional to the size of the black hole. This means that smaller black holes will emit radiation at a faster rate than larger black holes. As a black hole decreases in size, its rate of radiation will also decrease.

4. What is the relationship between Hawking radiation and a black hole's temperature?

Hawking radiation is directly related to a black hole's temperature. As a black hole emits radiation, it loses energy and its temperature decreases. This means that a black hole's temperature and size are inversely proportional.

5. How does Hawking radiation affect the lifespan of a black hole?

Hawking radiation has a significant impact on the lifespan of a black hole. As the black hole radiates energy and decreases in size, it will eventually reach a point where it can no longer sustain itself and will evaporate completely. This process can take trillions of years for a black hole with the mass of our sun, but it will eventually happen for all black holes.

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