Black Holes Can Eat Stars from Within, Physicists Claim

Quick Overview

Physicists theorize that black holes can form within stars and consume them from the inside, a process they term "parasitic black holes," which is considered highly unlikely for stars like our Sun due to their lower density and self-annihilation properties.

Key Points: Physicists theorize that black holes can form within stars by accreting matter and causing collapse. This "parasitic black hole" formation is unlikely in stars like our Sun due to lower density and dark matter self-annihilation. Neutron stars are considered more plausible candidates due to their higher density. The process is limited by the rate of matter accretion versus Hawking radiation emission. Current observational evidence, primarily micro-lensing, is insufficient to confirm the existence of such internal black holes. A study published in Physical Review D provides calculations on the feasibility of this phenomenon for different star types. The presenter rates the likelihood of this theory as "8 out of 10 bullshit."

Context: The video delves into a theoretical concept in astrophysics concerning the formation and behavior of black holes within stars. It references scientific research, including a specific paper, to explore the conditions under which a star could theoretically host an internal black hole. The discussion touches upon concepts like Hawking radiation and the properties of different celestial bodies, such as our Sun and neutron stars, in relation to this phenomenon.

Detailed Analysis

The video explores the theoretical possibility of black holes forming inside stars and consuming them from within. Physicists have proposed mechanisms for "parasitic black holes" that could grow by accreting matter from their host star, eventually leading to the star's collapse. However, this is considered highly unlikely for stars like our Sun. The primary reasons are that the Sun's lower density and the self-annihilation of dark matter particles would prevent such a process. For a star to form a black hole internally, it would need to accrete matter much faster than it emits Hawking radiation, and also avoid self-annihilation. The video references a paper by H. A. Adarsha and Chandrachur Chakraborty, with Sudipta Bhattacharyya, published in Physical Review D, which calculates how long this process would take for different types of stars. Neutron stars, being much denser, are considered more plausible candidates for hosting such internal black holes, but even then, the evidence remains speculative, with micro-lensing observations being too sparse and inconclusive to confirm the existence of these "black holes or neutron stars." The overall assessment of this "bullshit meter" is quite high, indicating a low probability of such an event occurring within our solar system.