Modern Astronomy Frontier: Black Holes - Research Paper Example

25 May Modern Astronomy Frontier: Black Holes The word “frontier” evokes pictures of wide, open spaces or rough mountains and woods. However, the frontier also refers to such places as Antarctica, the moon and even beyond our very universe to space itself. Astronomy is “the science that deals with the material universe beyond the earths atmosphere” (dictionary.com). From the study of astronomy emerges the study of black holes, a major frontier about which much has been theorized but little really known. Black holes can be defined as “a concentration of matter so dense that not even light can escape its gravitational pull” (NRAO). What exactly makes black holes so captivating is the effects they seem to have on their surroundings, and yet their ability to remain in obscurity, literally. Before embarking on the actual topic of black holes, this paper will discuss the background research completed on black holes, the observations on them, the results of those observations, and the mysteries that still exist about them. First of all, black holes possess an amazing heritage. The first record of the black hole theory begins back in the early 1780s (DeBenedictis 4). However, during the nineteenth century, the idea that light could be affected by gravity was thought to be false, and therefore black holes, which result from gravitational pulls that suck away light, would not be possible. During the early twentieth century, with the discovery of the theory of relativity by Albert Einstein and discoveries by astrophysicist Karl Schwarzschild, belief in the theory of black holes returned (DeBenedictis 4). Further research took place once the technology advanced enough to produce models and test the various theories and equations that were used. Several types of research were employed to test the theory of black holes. One type of research, labeled as classical black hole research, begins with the theory of general relativity (DeBenedictis 14). Classical theory believes that “black holes can only absorb and not emit particles” (Hawking 199). Therefore, whatever information “falls into a black hole is forever lost” (Carr 22). Within classical black hole research, several different equations determine the spin, velocity and gravitational field surrounding the black hole and the particles that compose the black hole (DeBenedictis 22). Classical research deals with the geometry of black holes, specifically at the “event horizon” (Anderson 1). The event horizon constitutes “the boundary around a black hole on and within which no matter or radiation can escape” (dictionary.com). According to classical researchers, the event horizon area “cannot decrease” (Hawking 199). Another type of research, known as semi-classical black hole research, attempts to explain black holes using a combination of both the classical and quantum approaches. This research can be defined as “based on the premise that the gravitational field remains classical, but the matter content is quantized” (DeBenedictis 24). Semi-classical research holds its own unique challenges in its attempt to explain black holes. This type of research incorporates classical equations and then factors in quantum particles to explain why black holes act in the manner that they do (DeBenedictis 28). The last type of research done on black holes is known as quantum black hole research. This type of research is based on the assumption that black holes absorb and emit particles, as opposed to simply absorbing matter (Carr 22). Quantum black hole research relies on the theory that energy is composed of particles of energy or quantum that can be affected by gravity in multiple ways. Quantum energy constitutes the main reason that black holes are so concentrated in density. Only when a force overpowers the quantum energy will the object collapse, because otherwise it becomes “stabilized by repulsive quantum forces between subatomic particles” (Carr 1). Observations of black holes have been carried out in multiple ways. One way observations have been done is through all the equations and calculations various scientists and researchers have completed. While these observations have been mainly indirect ones, they still hold valid results. The most important evidence for black holes stems from “optical and radio observations” (NRAO). The radio observations indicate black holes in certain areas based on the increased speed of “stars or gas clouds orbiting the centers of galaxies” (NRAO). Another very important type of observation takes the form of x-rays. These observations show a great deal of energy produced around certain portions of the universe (NRAO). The energy that is created shows up through the x-rays, leading astronomers to understand that a mass of energy is present and yet unobservable by sight. The presence of so much energy led astronomers and physicists to speculate that a highly concentrated mass existed, but could not be seen (DeBenedicts 44). This speculation combined with what they already new about black holes led the astronomers closer to tangible evidence for black holes. In the future, astronomers hope for a telescope that can visually record what a black hole looks like and then have it be able to record how the mass around a black hole behaves. The main observations of black holes are the calculations carried out through the various equations that many scientists, both past and present, have developed. The most important one, the one that is essentially foundational to the whole theory of black holes, is Einstein’s theory of relativity. Stephen Hawking, who is almost synonymous today with his theory, devised another equally important theory on black holes. His work was so important and groundbreaking because it “linked three previously disparate areas of physics: general relativity, quantum theory and thermodynamics” (Carr 3). This linkage has enabled those coming after him to build upon his work and carry out different observations. In turn, these observations have led to further discoveries and observations in the realm of black holes. The results of this knowledge concerning black holes have impacted various aspects of astronomy. First of all, depending on which theory one depends on for understanding black holes, matter is either destroyed completely after a time or remains hidden beneath the surface of the universe. In accordance with the law of thermodynamics, the option of matter being destroyed cannot be possible, or else the law of thermodynamics is incorrect in face of the theory of black holes. As this is an unlikely result, the theory that black holes eventually disintegrate and disappear completely over millions of years cannot be correct (Carr 3). Several other theories exist as to what exactly does happen to the black holes, because research from x-rays and radio waves have shown that the black holes will decrease in size over time. One theory states that the black hole disappears and leaves “remnants” of the information behind (Carr 3). This theory fails to answer the question about how that information appears in its remnant form. Another theory deals with the theory that the mass of what is currently thought to be black holes may actually be a substance called a black star (Barcelo 38). This theory explains away some of the issues and impossibilities of black holes, such as the eventual collapse into nothingness and problems with gravity. According to the theory of black stars, the star behaves without the pull of gravity, instead being held up by “space itself” (Barcelo 39). In order to account for the x-rays and radio waves that have seemingly observed black holes, black stars are also very dense, but are not absent of light, as black holes are. Instead, black stars produce very weak light rays that cannot be picked up by modern telescopes due to the extremely long wavelength of the light ray (Barcelo 43). These black stars serve to explain much of the phenomenon associated with black holes, and yet appear to fit the data and laws of thermodynamics more closely. Many mysteries about black holes and their exact role in astronomy still remain. Although the evidence that black holes, or at least substances that behave like black holes, do exist in the universe, exactly how they affect their surroundings has been the subject of much debate. Black holes, possibly created by the collapsing of a star-like mass or multiple star-like masses, attract other stars to their destruction (NRAO). However, how that occurs or why it occurs still has astronomers baffled. Another mystery dealing with black holes is how to reconcile the law of thermodynamics and the observation that black holes do decrease in size. Where all that information goes when the black hole disappears leaves scientists wondering about the true nature of black holes. Whether it completely disappears and places its information in other areas or whether it is not actually a hole at all, but a black star, are mysteries that will hopefully be answered one day in the near future. One of the last frontiers in modern astronomy, black holes play a significant role in the behavior of certain occurrences in the universe. These black holes affect the behaviors of the stars that surround them. Although not as much is known about them as would be desired, black holes and the theories behind them have drastically developed since that initial theory in 1783 (DeBenedictis 4). The observations carried out on black holes have greatly improved with the advance of technology and the perfecting of the various equations used to determine the behavior of these black holes. Although black holes are not a subject that comes to the attention of the average person, this fascinating subject holds great promise for the future of astronomy. It may be that one day black holes will have a significant impact, not just on astronomy, but on society in general. Works Cited “Black Holes.” National Radio Astronomy Observatory. Web. 25 May 2011. Anderson, Paul R., and Courtney D Mull. “Constraints on Black Holes in Classical and Semiclassical Theories of Gravity.” Wake Forest U, n.d. 1-7. Web. 25 May 2011. Barcelo, Carlos, Stefano Liberati, Sebastiano Sonego, and Matt Visser. “Black Stars, Not Holes.” Scientific American (Oct. 2009): 38-45. Web. 26 May 2011. Carr, Bernard J., and Steven B. Giddings. “Quantum Black Holes.” Scientific American (April 2007): 20-27. Web. 25 May 2011. DeBenedictis, A. “Developments in Black Hole Research: Classical, Semi-classical, and Quantum.” Classical and Quantum Gravity Research. 2008. 371-426. Web. 25 May 2011. Dictionary.com. Web. 25 May 2011. Hawking, S. W. “Particle Creation by Black Holes.” Commun. Math. Phys. 43: U of Cambridge, 1975. 199-220. Web. 25 May 2011. Hegyi, Sandor. “Simple Observations Concerning Black Holes and Probability.” International Journal of Modern Physics 18.14 (2009): 2269-73. Web. 26 May 2011. Read More