Quote:
Originally Posted by renormalised
Actually, Alex, something escaping a BH doesn't offend the general premise of a BH to begin with. It's a very common misconception of the public (and one, unfortunately, promulgated by scientists trying to be melodramatic about their science) that things cannot escape the pull of a BH. In truth, anything can escape the pull of a BH, so long as they have enough energy to keep from falling into and across the event horizon. Hawking Radiation forms from the creation of virtual particle pairs in the space above the event horizon of the BH. What happens is that one of the particles that is formed, loses energy and falls over the horizon, the other particle gains energy (transferred from the other particle) and escapes the BH. Over time this net loss of energy through the creation of virtual particle pairs robs the hole of energy (and therefore mass). The hole starts to shrink until it eventually gets to the stage where it's no bigger than a proton (and about as heavy as Mt Everest). Once it gets to that stage, the hole becomes unstable, the event horizon collapses and the hole explodes in a flash of gamma radiation...approximately equal to a 2 billion megaton (or so) nuclear device.
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That is very interesting Carl and not offensive to common sense or to the science
However at the risk of appearing stupid yet again may I question the aspect of the explanation that suggests energy is "robbed" from the black hole by our virtual particle...do we not still have a point where the general premise is offended in so far as something still manages to leave that which can not be left? does this mean that energy can escape a black hole whereas mass cannot?
alex
