Science
Physicists derive analytical formula describing spacetime crystal collapse into microscopic black holes
Researchers used a infinite-dimension mathematical framework to describe how a repeating spacetime state can collapse into a black hole with a tiny energy change.
The short version
- Researchers from Goethe University Frankfurt and TU Wien developed an exact mathematical formula describing how an unstable 'spacetime crystal' state can collapse into a microscopic black hole or dissolve into ordinary spacetime.
- The analytical solution resolves a long-standing mathematical challenge first identified by computer simulations in 1993.
- The method uses calculations in a hypothetical infinite-dimensional setting before translating results back to four-dimensional spacetime.
Key facts
- Physicists Christian Ecker, Florian Ecker, and Daniel Grumiller published their findings in Physical Review Letters.[ScienceDaily]
- The critical state described functions as an unstable intermediate phase where a minimal addition of energy causes spacetime curvature to collapse into a black hole rather than disperse.[ScienceDaily]
- Computer simulations first indicated the spontaneous formation of black holes through critical collapse in 1993.[ScienceDaily]
- To solve the complex equations, researchers performed initial calculations in a theoretical setting with infinitely many dimensions before applying approximation methods to map the solution back to four dimensions.[ScienceDaily]
What remains uncertain
- It remains to be seen how broadly this new analytical technique can be applied to other extreme general relativity phenomena beyond the critical collapse model studied.[ScienceDaily]
Sources
- This strange “spacetime crystal” can suddenly become a black holeScienceDaily - Science