New research from the University of Sheffield could transform our understanding of black holes, time, and the mysterious force known as dark energy, shedding new light on some of the universe’s biggest mysteries.
Black holes – regions of space where gravity is so intense that nothing, not even light, can escape – have long captivated scientists. Astrophysicists and theoretical physicists have spent decades trying to unlock their secrets. Their allure extends beyond science, inspiring popular films and books such as 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Martian, and Interstellar, which explore humanity’s fascination with these enigmatic cosmic phenomena.
According to Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity, anything that crosses a black hole’s boundary, known as the event horizon, is inevitably pulled toward its center and destroyed by extreme gravitational forces. At this center, called a singularity, the matter of a collapsed star is thought to be compressed into an infinitely small point. Here, the laws of physics as we know them break down, and our understanding of time and space ceases to function.
However, a new study challenges this idea. Using quantum mechanics – a fundamental theory that describes the universe on the smallest scales – scientists propose a different perspective. Instead of the singularity marking the end of time and space, it may actually be the start of something new.
The new paper entitled ‘Black Hole Singularity Resolution in Unimodular Gravity from Unitarity’, published on March 11 in the scientific journal Physical Review Letters, aims to illustrate the point where our current grasp of physics and time falters.
While black holes are often described as sucking everything, including time, into a point of nothingness, in the paper, white holes are theorized to act in reverse, ejecting matter, energy, and time back into the universe.
The study uses a simplified, theoretical model of a black hole, known as a planar black hole. Unlike typical black holes, which have a spherical shape, a planar black hole’s boundary is a flat, two-dimensional surface. The researchers’ ongoing work suggests that the same mechanism could also apply to a typical black hole.
“It has long been a question as to whether quantum mechanics can change our understanding of black holes and give us insights into their true nature,” said Dr. Steffen Gielen, from the University of Sheffield’s School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, who co-wrote the paper with Lucía Menéndez-Pidal from the Complutense University of Madrid.
“In quantum mechanics, time as we understand it cannot end as systems perpetually change and evolve.”
The scientists’ findings demonstrate how, using the laws of quantum mechanics, the black hole singularity is replaced by a region of large quantum fluctuations – tiny, temporary changes in the energy of space – where space and time do not end. Instead, space and time transition into a new phase called a white hole – a theoretical region of space thought to function in the opposite way to a black hole. As such, a white hole could be where time begins.
“While time is, in general, thought to be relative to the observer, in our research time is derived from the mysterious dark energy which permeates the entire universe,” Dr. Gielen continued.
“We propose that time is measured by the dark energy that is everywhere in the Universe, and responsible for its current expansion.This is the pivotal new idea that allows us to grasp the phenomena occurring within a black hole.”
Dark energy is a mysterious, theoretical force that scientists believe drives the accelerating expansion of the universe. The new study uses dark energy almost as a point of reference, with energy and time as complementary ideas that can be measured against one another.
A Glimpse Beyond the Event Horizon
Tantalizingly, the theory that what we perceive as a singularity is actually a beginning suggests the existence of something even more enigmatic on the other side of a white hole.
“Hypothetically you could have an observer – a hypothetical entity – go through the black hole, through what we think of as a singularity, and emerge on the other side of the white hole. It’s a highly abstract notion of an observer but it could happen, in theory,” Dr. Gielen added.
Beyond such theoretical musings, the suggestion of a profound connection between the nature of time at the most fundamental level and the mysterious dark energy that governs the cosmos will be explored further in the months and years ahead.
Bridging Gravity and Quantum Mechanics
The new research also suggests novel approaches to reconciling gravity and quantum mechanics, potentially paving the way for groundbreaking new fundamental theories and breakthroughs in our understanding of the universe.
website: popularscientist.com
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