Study: Explosion of a black hole much more frequent than assumed
Black holes created directly after Big Bang could explode much more frequently than assumed. This is the opinion of a research group, and they have high hopes.
Artistic representation of primordial black holes.
(Image: NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center)
Observatories that are already active could possibly observe exploding black holes and answer numerous fundamental questions about the nature of the universe. At least that is the opinion of a research team from the University of Massachusetts, which is now presenting its work. The group believes that so-called primordial black holes could explode much more frequently than previously assumed. If this is true, the probability of being able to observe this in the next ten years would be over 90 percent. This would not only confirm that these objects exist at all. Such an explosion would also give us a definitive list of all subatomic particles, the team promises. Even those that have not yet been observed.
More than a goldmine for research
Primordial black holes are tiny objects that are thought to have formed shortly after the Big Bang directly from the matter present at the time and not from the collapse of a star. The term is derived from the Latin word "primordium" ("first beginning"). So far, these PBHs (abbreviation of the English term) have only been described theoretically. It is unclear whether they really exist. Because they should be significantly lighter and smaller than the black holes we are familiar with and should emit radiation named after Stephen Hawking, they should become hotter and lighter until they explode at some point.
Until now, researchers have assumed that such explosions in the immediate vicinity of our sun only occur once every 100,000 years. The probability of being able to observe this directly would therefore be extremely low. However, the team led by physicist Michael Baker now believes that the explosions within a radius of 0.3 light years should occur once a decade. At the same time, the group believes that active gamma-ray observatories such as the High Altitude Water Cherenkov Experiment (HAWC) in Mexico or the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO) in China could detect these explosions. If this is true, the gain in knowledge would be enormous, adds the team.
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The modeling is based on the assumption that, contrary to previous findings, primordial black holes are not electrically neutral. They should then be temporarily stabilized before they explode. If this is true and the predicted proof succeeds, this would not only be the first direct proof of such a black hole but also of Hawking radiation. At the same time, we would also get a definitive list of all the particles that exist – both those already known and those not yet found: "This would completely revolutionize physics and help us to rewrite the history of the universe," says co-author Joaquim Iguaz Juan. The work has been published in Physical Review Letters.
(mho)
