New research suggests that extreme objects known as “kugelblitzes” – black holes formed only by light – are impossible in our universe, defiantly. Einstein’s theory of general relativity. The discovery places important constraints on cosmological models and shows how Quantum mechanics and general relativity can be reconciled to address complex scientific issues.
Black holes – Massive objects with a gravitational pull so strong that even light cannot escape their grasp – are among the most intriguing and strange objects in the universe. Typically, they form from the collapse of massive stars at the end of their life cycle, when the pressure from thermonuclear reactions in their cores can no longer oppose the force of gravity.
However, there are more exotic hypotheses about the formation of black holes. One such theory involves the creation of a “kugelblitz,” German for “ball lightning.” (The plural form is “kugelblitze.”)
“A kugelblitz is a hypothetical black hole that, rather than being formed by the collapse of ‘ordinary matter’ (whose main components are protons, neutrons and electrons), is formed by the concentration of large amounts of electromagnetic radiation, such as it’s light,” the study. coauthor José Polo-Gómeza physicist at the University of Waterloo and the Perimetric Institute for Theoretical Physics in Canada, told Live Science in an email.
“Even though light has no mass, it carries energy,” Polo-Gómez said, adding that, in Einstein’s theory of general relativity, energy is responsible for creating the curvatures in spacetime that result in gravitational pull. “Because of this, it’s in principle possible for light to form black holes – if we focus enough of it into a small enough volume,” he said.
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These principles hold true in classical general relativity, which does not take quantum phenomena into account. To explore the possible influence of quantum effects on kugelblitz formation, Polo-Gómez and his colleagues examined the influence of the Schwinger effect.
“When there is an extremely intense electromagnetic energy – for example, due to large concentrations of light – some of this energy is converted into matter in the form of electron-positron pairs,” the lead author of the study. Álvaro Álvarez-Domínguez of the Institute of Particle Physics and Cosmos (IPARCOS) at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, told Live Science in an email. “This is a quantum effect called the Schwinger effect. It is also known as vacuum polarization.”
In theirs STUDYwhich has been accepted for publication in the journal Physical review papers but not yet published, the team calculated the rate at which electron-positron pairs produced in an electromagnetic field would deplete energy. If this speed exceeds the rate of replenishment of electromagnetic field energy in a given region, a kugelblitz cannot form.
The team found that, even under the most extreme circumstances, pure light can never reach the required energy threshold to form a black hole.
“What we prove is that kugelblitzes are impossible to form by concentrating light, either artificially in the laboratory or in naturally occurring astrophysical scenarios,” study co-author. Luis J. Garay, also of IPARCOS, told Live Science. “For example, even if we used the most intensive LASER on Earth, we would still be more than 50 orders of magnitude away from the intensity required to create a kugelblitz.”
This discovery has profound theoretical implications, significantly constraining previously considered astrophysical and cosmological models that assume the existence of kugelblitzes. It also destroys any hope of experimentally studying black holes in a laboratory setting by creating them through electromagnetic radiation.
However, the positive result of the study shows that quantum effects can be efficiently integrated into problems involving gravity, thus providing clear answers to current scientific questions.
“From a theoretical point of view, this work shows how quantum effects can play an important role in understanding the mechanisms of formation and appearance of astrophysical objects,” said Polo-Gómez.
Inspired by their findings, the researchers plan to continue exploring the impact of quantum effects on various gravitational phenomena, which are of practical and fundamental importance.
“Some of us are very interested in continuing to study the gravitational properties of quantum matter, especially in scenarios where this quantum matter violates traditional energy conditions,” he said. Eduardo Martín-Martínez, also of the University of Waterloo and the Perimeter Institute. “This kind of quantum matter could, in principle, create exotic spacetime, resulting in effects such as repulsive gravity or producing exotic solutions. like the Alcubierre warp drive or penetrable worms.”