How do Black Holes evaporate?

Question

If they keep sucking in more material how do they eventually disappear? p.s. Black Holes scare the heck outta me

Answer 1

It's due to the theory of Hawking Radiation. It relates closely with the theory of vacuum energy in which to particles of opposite charge are spontaneously created out of nowhere in the middle of a vacuum, then collide with each other a split second later. The resulting energy from the particle/antiparticle annihilation counters their creation, so no net change takes place.

With Hawking radiation, one of these particle/antiparticle pairs appears very closely to the event horizon of a black hole. Before the particles can collide, the particle closes to the event horizon is sucked into the black hole, while the free particle goes flying out into space. The black hole absorbs the negative mass inherent in this reaction, thereby reducing its mass by one photon or something. Negligible on its own, but over the course of billions of years can reduce the black hole's mass significantly.

Answer 2

The black hole evaporation mechanism is very slow, and only occurs when the black hole is not consuming any matter.

The evaporation mechanism is this: a black hole, in a vacuum, has virtual particles that occur near the event horizon. Some fraction of these virtual particles will become non-virtual, by being pulled apart by the gravitational field before they can recombine. One particle goes down the whole, the other particle escapes. This results in a small loss of mass from the hole. The process goes *much* faster for small holes than big ones, and so as they lose mass, once they get down to 10^-7 kilograms or so, they go "pop" and disappear.

P.S. this was first described by Hawking over 30 years ago and is now considered well-established physics.

Answer 3

First off....don't worry...there aren't any black holes that are close enough to "get us" in our lifetime!
The evaporation idea was put out by Stephen Hawking. Think of the "surface" of the black hole being a transparent entity called the "event horizon"...(in other words, imagine being able to fall right through the ground you're standing on!). Once beyond ("under neath") this horizon, the particles go into a partial orbit around the central "singularity" (center of the black hole, where even time supposedly stops) and in the process, acheive a velocity that's FASTER than light...faster than relativity theories allow! In acheiving this rate of speed, the particle can then escape from the hole's gravity and actually shoot back onto THIS side of the event horizon. Upon doing so, the particle's properties "evaporate"...since it cannot exist on THIS side of the event horizon, where the principles of relativity apply.

EXTREMELY theoretical! And doubtful.

Answer 4

Don't be scared the worst that could happen would be they suck you in JUST KIDDING SORRY Black holes accully suck in everything around them and then suck themselves in its really hard to explain!! Research them and find out more Really don't let them scare you they can't hert unless you be a scientist and try to commit suicide while in space LOL but thats how!!

Answer 5

Hawking radiation OUT > light (+matter) IN makes a black hole shrink. See the wiki page.

Don't let them sneak up on you. Check under your bed.

Answer 6

Black holes aren't actually holes. They are incredibly dense entities in space. They are so dense that they have an incredible mass and therefore gravity. The gravity is so strong that EVERYTHING that gets too close (including light itself) gets 'sucked in'. Everything that gets pulled into the hole simply adds to it and increases its mass even more.

Answer 7

Through a quantum effect called Hawking radiation ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_hole_evaporation

Answer 8

Hawking radiation

Answer 9

hmmm thats a good question, i wish i knew? tell me when oyu find out, they scare the heck outta me too.

Answer 10

Eventually they will get Rosie Odonnell and she will clog them up for us.