For Fully Mature Black Holes, Time Stands Still

Yahoo News ^ | 1-27-11 | Clara Moskowitz

[DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis]

The end of a black hole’s evolution may be a mind-bending kind of space-time independent of time. A new study proposes a method to tell how far any black hole is from reaching this end state.

Black holes are some of the weirdest things in the universe. They occur when mass is packed into a tiny volume, squished to its ultimate density.

Though observations suggest black holes are prevalent in the universe, scientists still don't really understand what goes on inside them. The equations of general relativity usually used to understand the physics of the universe break down in these cases.

"It is really beyond the physics we know," said Juan Antonio Valiente Kroon, a mathematician at Queen Mary, University of London. "To understand what happens inside a black hole, we need to invent new physics."

Mercifully, the physics for the end state of a black hole is somewhat simpler. A solution to the equations of general relativity was found that produced a situation called "Kerr spacetime." Scientists now think Kerr spacetime is what happens when a black hole has reached its final evolutionary state.

"Mainly the equations of relativity are so complex that for relativistic systems, the only way you can probe these equations is by means of computer," Valiente Kroon told SPACE.com. "Solutions like this Kerr solution are really exceptional. The Kerr solution is one of the few explicitly known solutions to general relativity that have a direct physical meaning."

Kerr spacetime is time-independent, meaning that nothing in Kerr spacetime changes over time. In effect, time stands still. A black hole in such a state is essentially stationary...

[mrsmith]

“Time has stood still, since we’ve been apart!”

A universe of black holes and broken hearts, living in ‘Ray Charles time’...

[wally_bert]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzUJJKDa558

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

"...squished to its ultimate density..."

Actually, that might not be the case. Physics just can't say what goes on inside the event horizon. The density of a galactic-mass black hole need be no denser than air. It probably is, though!

[backwoods-engineer]

That is the the song that popped in my head as soon as I read the title! I guess we Rush fans think alike.

[Route395]

do NOT google “mature black hoes” for pics either.

GAAAAK!

[Mariner]

Clearly time is nothing but movement through space in near-zero gravity. And, it’s relative:)

[GeronL]

lol

[KoRn]

/mark

[rbg81]

It will turn out that inside of a black hole a new “big bang” occurs. In short, the black hole creates a new universe. Just a hunch.

[GSP.FAN]

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/florida/cops-charge-nine-women-wild-florida-brawl

Video is quite entertaining....

[GeronL]

I did notice that 2 of the 3 women mentioned in the article were under 21.... Club Zanzibar should have their liquor license pulled.

I can only imagine they were drinking, but I guess its possible they were sober and really really really stupid

[Bullish]

What's all dis about da' black Hoes'?

[DesertRhino]

no,,,time does not stop.

[The Comedian]

Time Stand Still ping.

"Space Energy/Solar Weirdness" ping.

Ping list dealing with odd space phenomena and solar events.

FReepmail me if you want on or off

The Comedian's "Space Energy/Solar Weirdness" ping list...

Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.

[Quix]

hmmmmmmm

[TheOldLady]

I thought that time past a black hole’s event horizon only appears to an outside observer to stand still.

[shibumi]

It’s 10PM Central Time.

I’m taking bets on how long that pic will last.

My personal guess is going.... going... gone by 10:23PM CDST.

[bunkerhill7]

For Fully Mature Black Holes, Time Stands Still At 3 Bucks a Minute

[Jack Hydrazine]

Check out this office black hole.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5_Msrdg3Hk

[shibumi]