Physicists have discovered a strange twist in space-time that can simulate black holes—until they get very close. Known as “topological solitons,” these theoretical cracks in the fabric of space-time are known throughout the universe, and finding them could advance our understanding of quantum physics, according to a new study published April 25 in the journal Science. physical examination d (Opens in a new tab).
black hole This is probably the most frustrating thing ever discovered in science. Einstein’s general theory of relativity predicted their existence, and astronomers know how they form: All it takes is for a massive star to collapse under its own weight. With no other available force to counter it, gravity continues to pull until all of the star’s matter has been compressed into an infinitesimal point, known as a singularity. Surrounding this singularity is the event horizon, the invisible boundary that marks the black hole’s edge. Anything that crosses the event horizon cannot escape.
But the main problem with this is that points of infinite density can’t really exist. So temporarily General relativity He predicted the existence of black holes, and we have found many astronomical objects that behave exactly as Einstein’s theory predicted, and we know we still don’t have the full picture. We know the uniqueness should be replaced by something more logical, but we don’t know what it is.
Related: Is a black hole a wormhole?
Finding this required an understanding of how strong gravity is on very small scales – something called quantum gravity. So far, we have no workable theory of quantum gravity, but we do have a few candidates. One such candidate is string theorya model that suggests that all the particles that make up our universe are actually made of tiny vibrating strings.
To account for the wide variety of particles that inhabit our universe, these strings cannot simply vibrate in the usual three spatial dimensions. String theory predicts the existence of additional dimensions, all curled up to themselves on a minuscule scale — so small that we couldn’t even know they existed.
And the act of constricting these extra spatial dimensions at small scales can lead to very interesting things.
In the new study, researchers suggest that this extra compact dimension could lead to defects. Like a wrinkle you can’t remove from your shirt no matter how much you iron it, this imperfection will become a permanent, irreversible flaw in the fabric of space-time—a topological soliton. Physicists think this selton would look, act, and probably smell a lot like a black hole.
The researchers studied how a ray of light behaved when it passed through one of these solitons. They found that a soliton would affect light in the same way as a black hole. Light bends around the soliton and forms a stable orbital ring, and the soliton casts an image. In other words, Famous images from the Event Horizon Telescopezoomed in on the M87* black hole in 2019, it would look more or less the same if the soliton was in the center of the image instead of the black hole.
But soon, that tradition will end. A topological soliton is not a singularity, so it has no event horizon. You can approach the soliton however you like, and you can always go if you want (assuming you’ve packed enough gas).
Unfortunately, we don’t have black holes close enough to dig into, so we can only rely on observing distant objects. If any topological solitons are ever discovered, their detection will not only be insight into the nature of gravity, but will allow us to study the properties of quantum gravity and string theory firsthand.
2023-05-18 00:44:50
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