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Planet Nine could be a primordial black hole, new research suggests
phys.org ^ | 09/30/2019 | Tomasz Nowakowsk

Posted on 09/30/2019 4:33:55 PM PDT by BenLurkin

Primordial black holes (PBHs) are old and relatively small black holes that emerged soon after the Big Bang. They are thought to have been formed as a result of density fluctuations in the very early universe. It is believed that PBHs with the lowest mass have likely evaporated. However, those with larger masses may still exist, evaporating at the present epoch—even though they have been never directly observed.

Astronomers Jakub Scholtz of Durham University and James Unwin of University of Illinois at Chicago, assume that PBHs could reside even closer to us than we think. In a recently published paper, they ponder the possibility that the elusive Planet Nine, theorized to be orbiting the sun at a distance between 300 and 1,000 AU, could be such an old and compact black hole.

Explaining their intriguing hypothesis, the researchers focus on two unsolved gravitational anomalies of similar mass: anomalous orbits of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) and an excess in microlensing events. What is interesting is that both events are due to objects with masses estimated to be between 0.5 and 20 Earth masses.

The anomalies of TNO orbits are assumed to be triggered by a new gravitational source in the outer solar system. While it is widely accepted that this source could be a free-floating planet, Scholtz and Unwin argue that the PBH scenario is not unreasonable and should be taken into account.

However, it could be difficult to confirm this theory, as such a hypothetical PBH, with a mass of around five Earth masses and a radius of about five centimeters, would have a Hawking temperature of approximately 0.004 K, making it colder than the cosmic microwave background (CMB). Therefore, the power radiated by a typical PBH alone is minuscule, which makes it hard to detect.

(Excerpt) Read more at phys.org ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; Science
KEYWORDS: astronomy; blackhole; darkenergy; darkforce; darkmatter; planet; science; speedofdark; stringtheory; tno; xplanets
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To: BenLurkin

21 posted on 09/30/2019 6:40:28 PM PDT by xp38
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To: Pontiac

This is their excuse for never seeing it.


22 posted on 09/30/2019 8:09:21 PM PDT by tbw2
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To: Fred Hayek

Well maybe that’s where the solar system came from


23 posted on 09/30/2019 8:33:18 PM PDT by Hoosier-Daddy ("Washington, DC. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious")
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To: SunkenCiv

*ping*


24 posted on 09/30/2019 8:55:02 PM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (Who will think of the gerbils ? Just say no to Buttgiggity !)
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To: fieldmarshaldj; BenLurkin
Wow, the rest of this thread has been a blast from the past. Criswell Predicts... what a joker... used to show up on Mike Douglas and shows like that and give specific dates for assassinations of various people, stuff like that. But anyway, the actual topic post is pretty interesting, and will be getting a ping for two different lists.

25 posted on 10/01/2019 12:13:59 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: fieldmarshaldj; 6SJ7; AdmSmith; AFPhys; Arkinsaw; allmost; aristotleman; autumnraine; bajabaja; ...
Thanks fieldmarshaldj.

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26 posted on 10/02/2019 1:44:21 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: KevinDavis; annie laurie; Knitting A Conundrum; Viking2002; Ernest_at_the_Beach; Mmogamer; ...
Thanks fieldmarshaldj.
 
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27 posted on 10/02/2019 1:46:15 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: BenLurkin

28 posted on 10/02/2019 1:50:07 PM PDT by Bullish (My tagline ran off with another man.)
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