Black Holes: New Boundaries of Formation
The modern idea of black holes has been known since February 1916, following Albert Einstein’s presentation of his theory of gravity. Physicist Karl Schwarzshild demonstrated that if a sufficient amount of mass exists within a completely spherical area, nothing can escape from this object due to its immense gravitational attraction, not even light.
For over a hundred years, scientists have studied the properties of these enigmatic objects through theoretical frameworks and experimental research. Despite this, as Marcus Huri from the University of Stony Brooke explains, we still lack the necessary tools to determine unequivocally whether a certain concentration of matter in a given region will lead to the formation of a black hole.
However, a recent study by a team of scientists has brought us closer to answering this fundamental question. Huri and his colleagues have presented their work which suggests that black holes can exist within spaces comprised of four, five, six, or seven spatial dimensions.
By utilizing the Physician Pong equation, the researchers have developed a method to identify the points where this equation becomes “torn” or reaches infinity. This occurrence corresponds to the location of a closed confusing surface, which signifies the presence of a black hole.
The team employed geometric approaches to determine the concentration of matter necessary for the formation of a black hole. Their method is based on the “cubic inequality” developed by mathematician Mikhail Gromov. It was found that if a cube can be observed within a space where the concentration of matter is significantly large relative to its dimensions, a closed confusing surface is formed, thus indicating the presence of a black hole.
Nonetheless, numerous questions about black holes still remain unanswered. One of the principal inquiries centers around whether it is sufficient to compress an object in only one or two directions for the formation of a three-dimensional black hole.
This study signifies new horizons in our understanding of black holes. However, it also emphasizes that many enigmas persist even after more than a hundred years since their original discovery.
The material is based on an article from Quantum Magazine.