Stephen Hawking’s Theory on Universal Evaporation: Implications for the Fate of the Universe

CNN Indonesia

Monday, 05 Jun 2023 17:54 WIB

Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —

physicist theory Stephen Hawking about the alias black hole black hole has a ‘scary’ length effect; the whole universe will evaporate in time.

In 1974, the Cambridge professor said black holes would evaporate due to the loss of what is now known as Hawking Radiation.

This term refers to the gradual draining of energy in the form of light particles that spring up around a black hole’s powerful gravitational field.

Now, a new theory states that Hawking radiation is created not only from black holes, but also from all objects that have sufficient mass.

If this theory were correct, it would mean that everything in the universe would eventually vanish by evaporating and its energy slowly being released in the form of light.

“That means that objects without an event horizon, such as the remains of dead stars and other massive objects in the universe, also have this kind of radiation,” said lead study author Heino Falcke, a professor of astrophysics at Radboud University in the Netherlands.

“And, after a very long time, it will cause everything in the universe to eventually evaporate, like a black hole.”

The researchers published the study June 2 in the journal Physical Review.

He explained that this new study not only changed our understanding of Hawking radiation, but also our view of the universe and its future.

Event Horizon

According to quantum field theory, quoted from LiveScience, there is no empty vacuum. Space is instead filled with tiny vibrations which, if they have enough energy.

The vibrations will randomly explode into virtual particles, producing very low energy packets of light, or photons.

In a paper published in 1974, Hawking predicted that the extreme gravitational force felt at the mouth of a black hole would summon photons into existence in this way.

Some of the main components of the black hole include singularities or points in space-time with such indefinable density and gravity that the laws of physics don’t apply.

In addition there is a horizon or event horizon which is the boundary of the black hole.

Gravity, according to Einstein’s general theory of relativity, distorts space-time. The more curved the quantum field, the closer it is to the enormous gravitational pull of the black hole singularity.

Because of the uncertainties and vagaries of quantum mechanics, Hawking says this warping creates unequal pockets with different timing and energy spikes across the field.

This energy mismatch causes photons to appear in the constricted space around the black hole, sucking energy from the black hole’s field so it can explode.

If the particles then escape from the black hole, this theft of energy led Hawking to conclude that the black hole will eventually lose all energy and cease to exist.

The authors of the new study analyzed Hawking radiation through the lens of a long predicted process called the Schwinger effect, in which matter could theoretically result from strong distortions caused by electromagnetic fields.

Sure enough, by applying the framework of the Schwinger effect to Hawking’s theory, theoretical physicists came up with a mathematical model that reproduced Hawking radiation in space that experiences varying gravitational field strengths.

According to their new theory, an event horizon is not required for energy to slowly leak from massive objects in the form of light; The object’s gravitational field is good enough on its own.

“We show that far beyond the black hole, the curvature of space-time plays a large role in creating radiation,” said second author Walter van Suijlekom, a professor of mathematics at Radboud University.

“The particles are already separated there [di luar lubang hitam] by the tidal forces of the gravitational field,” he continued, quoted from Live Science.

To know if this is a correct prediction of the eventual fate of our universe, physicists still need to find some of the Hawking radiation that is produced around objects with very strong gravity.

For example, around black holes and around planets, stars and neutron stars.

(can/arh)