A man could theoretically survive in a black hole, scientists say. Russian physicists confirmed to RT the conclusions of colleagues from the University of California at Berkeley. The Americans have published a study that provides calculations demonstrating that the fate of an object trapped in a black hole may not be as fatal as previously thought. On previously unknown properties of black holes and the "rules of behavior" in them.
Black holes in the theory of relativity
The most complete description of a black hole appeared only in 1915 - with the publication of the general theory of relativity by Albert Einstein.
Scientists most often describe a black hole as an area with a colossal gravitational field, shaped like a bowl.
For a long time, the conclusions of astrophysicists who have studied black holes boiled down to the fact that any close contact of an object or organism with this region of space-time is likely to lead to their destruction.
The fact is that black holes are surrounded by the so-called event horizon (known as the "point of no return"). Scientists believe that even particles of light cannot penetrate this border. In this case, the gravitational attraction of small black holes is so great that any object that is nearby is stretched to the state of a chain of atoms. The smaller the black hole, the more pronounced this effect.
“If we are talking about a person falling into a black hole, and it does not matter whether it is charged or not, then the destructive effect of gravity is associated with the action of tidal force. If you find yourself in a strong gravitational field, which greatly changes the distance, then "spaghettization" occurs - everything stretches towards the center of the black hole. That is, if we fall forward with our feet into a black hole, then our legs are attracted first of all, "said Sergey Popov, an astrophysicist, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, leading researcher at the Moscow State University GAISh, in an interview with RT.
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Small black holes tend to rotate. And under these conditions, the chance that a living organism that got there will survive is virtually zero. Since the object, in addition to the longitudinal tidal forces, will also be affected by twisting forces.
“A person trapped in such a black hole will be twisted and twisted. It will seem to him that he is the laundry in the washing machine. It is not even clear what will kill earlier: tearing or twisting tidal forces, Oleg Zaslavsky, a physicist and expert in gravity, told RT.
Singularity and the Cauchy horizon
Modern physicists working in various areas of the theory of relativity believe that in addition to the event horizon, black holes have an inner Cauchy horizon. This is a hypothetical border beyond which the usual theory of determinism (the doctrine of the regularity and causality of all events and phenomena - RT) ceases to work.
Scientists from the University of California at Berkeley (USA) conducted a detailed study of black holes and everything connected with them, and presented a number of interesting findings.
American physicists say that they have not yet been able to look beyond the Cauchy horizon, but mathematical models demonstrate that events there can unfold according to completely unpredictable scenarios.
“No physicist is going to travel into a black hole and measure it. This is a mathematical question. But from this point of view, Einstein's fundamental equations become more interesting, leading us to conclusions that change the idea of / u200b / u200bthe physics of black holes. All this suggests that the theory of determinism may be absolutely incompatible with the general theory of relativity, as it was thought earlier, notes the author of the study, Peter Hinz.
According to Einstein's work, in the center of the black hole is the so-called singularity - the point of space-time at which the usual laws of physics stop working. At the same time, the gravity in it is so great that everything that gets there is immediately destroyed.
New theory
However, physicists from the University of California at Berkeley suggested that near supermassive charged black holes, it is still possible to look into the singularity due to the fact that gravity at their edges is weaker. This means that their event horizon can be crossed.
According to the study authors, the universe is expanding rapidly. This means that energy can be distributed more evenly than previously thought. If the assumptions of American physicists are correct, then in a supermassive black hole you can very quickly pass through the Cauchy horizon and avoid the singularity at its center.
“We see how supermassive black holes in galaxies swallow stars. We know that if black holes are very heavy, then they swallow the stars entirely, and if black holes are light, then they simply burst stars, and this is accompanied by a bright flash. Accordingly, the same is true for any other object. For example, if a spaceship falls into a supermassive black hole, then it will not be blown apart by tidal forces when it crosses the horizon. In this sense, the film “Interstellar” shows the truth,”says Sergei Popov.
Oleg Zaslavsky, in an interview with RT, explained the Americans' hypothesis about the possibility of survival in a black hole. According to the expert, upon reaching the event horizon of a massive black hole, a person or any other object will indeed be relatively safe.
“The fact is that if a black hole is massive, then the distance to its center is simply enormous, so it is best to be on the border, where destructive tidal forces have very little effect on the object that finds itself there. In addition, it is important for the observer to avoid the singularity at the center of the black hole - the place where the curvature of space-time tends to infinity,”Zaslavsky said.
The physicist also confirmed that it is theoretically possible to pass through the Cauchy horizon in charged black holes, and this process can be compared with the impact of a shock wave on the surface of a liquid.
“It turns out that a very solid object could pass through it. Therefore, one can imagine an observer stepping into a black hole and crossing the Cauchy horizon. However, in this case, its future can no longer be predicted,”says Zaslavsky.
The study authors note that their findings only concern black holes with an electric charge. However, they also emphasize that the behavior and composition of these objects is the same as that of existing rotating black holes.
"Of course, you are unlikely to fall into any of the black holes - theoretical or real, but it's nice to know that you can survive this unusual journey," - concludes Hintz.
Anastasia Ksenofontova