What would happen if a black hole swallowed a smaller black hole?

Question

What if two black holes of equal magnitude were very near each other? What would the warping of space-time be like?

Answer 1

Nothing spectacular (like time travel) happens when two black holes merge. When two black holes merge, they just form a big black hole, that is all. Of course, there ARE some interesting processes that happen before the merger and that is the emission of gravitational waves. When two black holes orbit each other, gravitational waves are emitted in accordance with the laws of general relativity, and as a result the black holes come closer to one another. Finally, there is a burst of gravitational radiation close to the merger. These are the kind of events that scientists are trying to detect with their gravitational wave detectors like LIGO, to prove another facet of general relativity.

Answer 2

Black holes that collide are thought to merge to form a larger black hole, which have an altered spin direction than the two previous black holes. Such a situation occurs when galaxies collide with one another and the 'supermassive' black holes at the center of the galaxy merge. Work from Merritt and Ekers made a very convincing argument for this in 2002.

Answer 3

I will get to what will happen in a sec, but first let me explain that the probability of that happening is slim. Assuming that the black holes did not occur at the same time, when the first one formed, it's gravitational pull would most likely pull in any sun near it (but typically sun's arnt that close to each other.

A black whole is typically a sun that collapsed on itself when it died in case you dont know). Now it still is possible that the sun that was also about to collapse on itself would be far enough way from the first black hole, where it only is in its range after it collapses on itself, and their gravitational poles overlap eachother.

Another possibility is that there are 2 suns relatively close to eachother that collapse at the same time, become black holes at the same time, and they both get pulled by one another, and then they "swallowed eachother.

Ok now for what would happen...

The chances of it still become a larger black hole depends on how dense the 2 black holes were.Keep in mind that when they collide, their density, whatever it is would become the average of the 2, but the size would double, and the "black hole" that covers twice as much area has less of a gravitational pull at the more precise spot, so it might just become a dead sun with a high gravitational pull, but not strong enough to become a black hole.

Answer 4

As far as I know nobody has created a miniature black hole, certainly not at Cern. If they had Stephen Hawkins would be collecting a Nobel Prize. If I remember the interview it was reported there was a very small possibility of creating a black hole and that if one was created it would almost instantaneously evaporate. From that point of view there was little or no risk to the Earth.

Answer 5

If a black hole is swallowed by another black hole not much would occur except the are is less the smaller one.

Answer 6

As they drew closer together they would release gravitational potential energy in the form of gravity waves. When they eventualy collide there will be a massive explosion releasing vast amounts of Gamma rays and hard X-Rays. One possable result would be a larger black hole.

Answer 7

It would simply "make one large" black hole while distorting the space-time around it even greater until the hole(s) became one.

Answer 8

I think they would just combine and form a larger black hole - where's Professor Hawking when you need him?

Answer 9

Black holes dont move they just suck so they wouldnt suck each other up

Answer 10

They would probably merge into one, very strong one.