16 votes

Black holes can’t be created by light

Posted by entitled-entilde
Tags: physics.astro, physics.quantum, black holes, light, studies, author.alvaro alvarez dominguez, author.luis j garay, author.eduardo martin martinez, author.jose polo gomez, source.aps
https://physics.aps.org/articles/v17/119

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Published
Jul 26 2024
Word count
869 words

3 comments

  1. [3]
    entitled-entilde
    Link
    Here is the abstract from the actual paper (You can read the paper on arXiv)

    The formation of a black hole from light alone is permitted by general relativity, but a new study says quantum physics rules it out.

    Here is the abstract from the actual paper

    We show that it is not possible to concentrate enough light to precipitate the formation of an event horizon. We argue that the dissipative quantum effects coming from the self-interaction of light (such as vacuum polarization) are enough to prevent any meaningful buildup of energy that could create a black hole in any realistic scenario.

    (You can read the paper on arXiv)

    9 votes
    1. [2]
      updawg
      Link Parent
      So is it (definitively) impossible or is it potentially just another example of GR and QM not meshing?

      So is it (definitively) impossible or is it potentially just another example of GR and QM not meshing?

      6 votes
      1. entitled-entilde
        Link Parent
        My (non-expert) reading of it is that they try to avoid this issue by showing that the dissipation happens before you get enough energy density to curve space time enough that a real quantum...

        My (non-expert) reading of it is that they try to avoid this issue by showing that the dissipation happens before you get enough energy density to curve space time enough that a real quantum gravity theory would be needed.

        6 votes