Renowned physicist Stephen Hawking's most famous theory about black holes has a new update- it says that everything in the universe is doomed to evaporate. According to LiveScience, in 1974, Hawking proposed that black holes eventually evaporate by losing what's now known as Hawking radiation- a gradual draining of energy in the form of light particles that spring up around black holes' immensely powerful gravitational fields.
Now, a new study has found that Black holes will eventually evaporate due to Hawking radiation, but the event horizon is not as important as previously thought. New theoretical research from Radboud University's Michael Wondrak, Walter van Suijlekom, and Heino Falcke has shown that Stephen Hawking was partially correct about black holes.
The study was published on 2 June in the leading journal "Physical Review Letters" of the American Physical Society (APS).
This radiation is also caused by gravity and the curvature of spacetime. This means that all large objects in the universe, such as star remnants, will eventually vanish.
This radiation is also caused by gravity and the curvature of spacetime. This means that all large objects in the universe, such as star remnants, will eventually vanish.
In this new study, the researchers at Radboud University revisited this process and investigated whether or not the presence of an event horizon is indeed crucial. They combined techniques from physics, astronomy and mathematics to examine what happens if such pairs of particles are created in the surroundings of black holes. The study showed that new particles can also be created far beyond this horizon. Michael Wondrak: 'We demonstrate that, in addition to the well-known Hawking radiation, there is also a new form of radiation.'
Everything evaporates
Van Suijlekom: 'We show that far beyond a black hole the curvature of spacetime plays a big role in creating radiation. The particles are already separated there by the tidal forces of the gravitational field.' Whereas it was previously thought that no radiation was possible without the event horizon, this study shows that this horizon is not necessary.
Falcke: 'That means that objects without an event horizon, such as the remnants of dead stars and other large objects in the universe, also have this sort of radiation. And, after a very long period, that would lead to everything in the universe eventually evaporating, just like black holes. This changes not only our understanding of Hawking radiation but also our view of the universe and its future.'
