Despite the enormous achievements in the field of physics and astronomy, there are many phenomena whose essence is not fully revealed. Such phenomena include mysterious black holes, all information about which is only theoretical and cannot be verified in a practical way.

Do black holes exist?

Even before the advent of the theory of relativity, astronomers proposed a theory about the existence of black funnels. After the publication of Einstein's theory, the question of gravity was revised and new assumptions appeared in the problem of black holes. It is unrealistic to see this cosmic object, because it absorbs all the light entering its space. Scientists prove the presence of black holes based on analysis of the movement of interstellar gas and the trajectories of stars.

The formation of black holes leads to changes in space-time characteristics around them. Time seems to be compressed under the influence of enormous gravity and slows down. Stars that find themselves in the path of a black funnel can deviate from their route and even change the direction of movement. Black holes absorb the energy of their twin star, which also manifests itself.

What does a black hole look like?

Information regarding black holes is mostly hypothetical. Scientists study them for their effect on space and radiation. It is not possible to see black holes in the universe, because they absorb all the light that enters nearby space. From special satellites, an X-ray image of black objects was taken, which shows a bright center, which is the source of the rays.

How are black holes formed?

A black hole in space is a separate world that has its own unique characteristics and properties. The properties of cosmic holes are determined by the reasons for their appearance. Regarding the appearance of black objects, there are the following theories:

1. They are the result of collapses occurring in space. This could be a collision of large cosmic bodies or a supernova explosion.
2. They arise due to the weighting of space objects while maintaining their size. The reason for this phenomenon has not been determined.

A black funnel is an object in space that has a relatively small size with enormous mass. The black hole theory says that every cosmic object can potentially become a black funnel if, as a result of some phenomena, it loses its size but retains its mass. Scientists even talk about the existence of many black microholes - miniature space objects with relatively large mass. This discrepancy between mass and size leads to an increase in the gravitational field and the appearance of strong attraction.

What's in a black hole?

The black mysterious object can only be called a hole with a big stretch. The center of this phenomenon is a cosmic body with increased gravity. The result of such gravity is a strong attraction to the surface of this cosmic body. This creates a vortex flow in which gases and grains rotate cosmic dust. Therefore, it is more correct to call a black hole a black funnel.

It is impossible to find out in practice what is inside a black hole, because the level of gravity of the cosmic vortex does not allow any object to escape from its zone of influence. According to scientists, there is complete darkness inside a black hole, because light quanta disappear irrevocably inside it. It is assumed that space and time are distorted inside the black funnel; the laws of physics and geometry do not apply in this place. Such features of black holes can presumably lead to the formation of antimatter, which at the moment unknown to scientists.

Why are black holes dangerous?

Black holes are sometimes described as objects that absorb surrounding objects, radiation and particles. This idea is incorrect: the properties of a black hole allow it to absorb only what falls within its zone of influence. It can absorb cosmic microparticles and radiation emanating from twin stars. Even if a planet is close to a black hole, it will not be absorbed, but will continue to move in its orbit.

What happens if you fall into a black hole?

The properties of black holes depend on the strength of the gravitational field. Black funnels attract everything that comes within their zone of influence. In this case, the spatiotemporal characteristics change. Scientists who study all things black holes disagree about what happens to the objects in this vortex:

• some scientists suggest that all objects falling into these holes are stretched or torn into pieces and do not have time to reach the surface of the attracting object;
• other scientists claim that in holes all the usual characteristics are distorted, so objects there seem to disappear in time and space. For this reason, black holes are sometimes called gateways to other worlds.

Types of black holes

Black funnels are divided into types based on the method of their formation:

1. Black objects of stellar mass are born at the end of the life of some stars. The complete combustion of a star and the end of thermonuclear reactions leads to the compression of the star. If the star undergoes gravitational collapse, it can transform into a black funnel.
2. Supermassive black funnels. Scientists claim that the core of any galaxy is a supermassive funnel, the formation of which is the beginning of the emergence of a new galaxy.
3. Primordial black holes. These may include holes of varying masses, including microholes formed due to discrepancies in the density of matter and the strength of gravity. Such holes are funnels formed at the beginning of the Universe. This also includes objects such as a hairy black hole. These holes are distinguished by the presence of rays similar to hairs. It is assumed that these photons and gravitons retain some of the information that falls into the black hole.
4. Quantum black holes. They appear as a result of nuclear reactions and live for a short time. Quantum funnels are of the greatest interest, since their study can help answer questions about the problem of black cosmic objects.
5. Some scientists identify this type of space object as a hairy black hole. These holes are distinguished by the presence of rays similar to hairs. It is assumed that these photons and gravitons retain some of the information that falls into the black hole.

Closest black hole to Earth

The nearest black hole is 3,000 light years away from Earth. It is called V616 Monocerotis, or V616 Mon. Its weight reaches 9-13 solar masses. This hole's binary partner is a star half the mass of the Sun. Another funnel relatively close to Earth is Cygnus X-1. It is located 6 thousand light years from Earth and weighs 15 times more than the Sun. This cosmic black hole also has its own binary partner, the movement of which helps to trace the influence of Cygnus X-1.

Black holes - interesting facts

Scientists tell the following interesting facts about black objects:

1. If we take into account that these objects are the center of galaxies, then to find the largest funnel, we must detect the largest galaxy. Therefore, the largest black hole in the universe is the funnel located in the galaxy IC 1101 at the center of the Abell 2029 cluster.
2. Black objects actually look like multi-colored objects. The reason for this lies in their radiomagnetic radiation.
3. There are no permanent physical or mathematical laws in the middle of a black hole. It all depends on the mass of the hole and its gravitational field.
4. The black funnels gradually evaporate.
5. The weight of black funnels can reach incredible sizes. The largest black hole has a mass equal to 30 million solar masses.

Still remain a mystery to scientists, challenging postulates modern physics. We hardly understand the principle of their existence and practically do not understand what they actually are and what they do. And it is impossible to know. By at least with the current level of technology that humanity has. The only thing we can do is watch them and make assumptions about what they are capable of. One of the most popular questions regarding black holes is this: what will happen to you if you fall into a black hole? Let's look at 10 of the creepiest theories that answer this question.
Cloning

The information paradox of black holes has baffled scientists for decades. This mystery has sparked countless debates about what actually happens once you fall into a black hole. To make it easier to understand this paradox, let's look at the example of a hypothetical Lucy. You and Lucy are flying into a black hole, and at the last second she decides not to go there and is now watching as you are sucked into it. Lucy sees that as you approach the black hole, your body begins to slowly stretch and eventually splits into atoms. Lucy thinks that you died and is grateful to fate that she did not listen to you and did not go after you.

But wait. That's not how the story ends at all. You actually remain alive and continue to go deeper into the infinity of the black hole. What will happen to you next is not the essence of our question. The most interesting thing is that you survived, although Lucy saw you die.

This is the information paradox of a black hole. This is not an illusion, and Lucy has not lost her mind. This is what it really is. The laws of physics tell us that you can be both dead outside a black hole and alive while inside it. Some scientists theorize that this is not a paradox at all, since you simply cannot observe two realities at the same time. Others point to cloning (the possibility of another you existing in another reality) as possible option solutions to this paradox, even though it defies the laws of quantum mechanics regarding the process of storing information.

There is no definitive answer to resolve this paradox (yet). Perhaps, in thousands of years, humanity will be able to figure out what is really happening. However, it is already known for sure that Lucy is no longer worth taking with you on trips.

Spaghettification

There is an assumption that as soon as you get into the event horizon of a black hole, you will begin to experience powerful stretching caused by a large tidal force in a very strong inhomogeneous gravitational field. Once you start falling into a black hole, forces will begin to act on your body that will eventually tear you into small pieces (more likely even particles).

Moreover, if you fall into a black hole head first, it will move so far away from your body that you will begin to look like spaghetti. The key is the difference in acceleration due to gravity that will act on your head and legs. It will be so colossal that you will stretch out like spaghetti or noodles, if you like. Hence the name - spaghettification.

Distortion of light, space and time

The first thing anyone will notice before entering the event horizon of a black hole is how different light, space and time will become. As soon as you get inside, the laws of physics (those that we know) will cease to exist for you, and completely different forces will come into force.

The infinite level of gravity produced by the singularity located at the center of a black hole is capable of bending space, reversing time and changing light beyond recognition. Because of this, your perception of what is happening now will be completely different from what happened before you entered the event horizon. Of course, this will last exactly until the moment you are completely swallowed up in endless darkness and will no longer be able to perceive anything at all.

Time travel

The greatest physicists who lived on our planet, such as Einstein and Hawking, theorized that time travel to the future would be possible through the use of the internal laws of black holes. As stated earlier, the normal laws of physics inside a black hole no longer apply to main role they come out completely different. One of the things that makes black holes different from our world is the way time flows in them.

The gravity inside a black hole is so powerful that it can bend time. Given this, it can be assumed that the bending of time opens up the possibility of travel in it. Therefore, if we can learn to use such dramatic differences between the space inside and outside the event horizon, then it is quite possible that, due to gravitational time dilation, we can go to a future where you will still remain young, while your friends will already grow old.

Of course, we shouldn’t forget that we haven’t yet figured out a way to travel through black holes, we don’t even know how to get to them and, more importantly, survive it all.

Nothing will happen to you

If we one day have a choice of which black hole to travel through, it would most likely be a supermassive black hole or a Kerr black hole.

If we can ever reach the black hole located at the center of our galaxy, which is approximately 25,000 light-years away and approximately 4.3 million times more massive than our Sun, then we may be able to do so safely. go through it. The concept behind this idea is that the hole's gravitational forces on anyone who wants to get into it will be very small due to the fact that the event horizon is located much further from the center of the black hole. This way, you can stay alive inside the event horizon and die only from starvation and dehydration, and perhaps from finally ending up in the singularity. Here you can bet on what will happen first, because there is no more precise answer yet.

Moreover, it is theoretically possible to stay alive and live out the rest of your life inside a Kerr black hole, which is a completely unique type of black hole, the theory of which was first proposed in 1963 by New Zealand mathematician and astrophysicist Roy Kerr. Then he suggested that if black holes are formed from dying binary neutron stars, then it would be possible to get inside such a black hole completely unharmed, since the centrifugal force would prevent the emergence of a singularity at its center. The absence of a singularity at the center of a black hole would, in turn, mean that you would not have to fear the infinite gravitational forces and you would be able to survive.

According to Einstein, you won't understand what's going on until the very end.

Einstein suggested that if you achieve a certain level free fall, then you can cancel the impact (or even rather a perception) gravitational forces. This means that if a person in free fall ceases to feel his own weight, any thing that is thrown into a black hole with him will not seem to fall. It will rather appear that it will float.

Einstein developed this idea and, on its basis, derived the world-famous general theory of relativity, perhaps his most successful idea. And perhaps this will be the happiest thought for you if you fall into a black hole. Even if you fall into God knows what, you still won’t be able to understand that you are falling until you hit the singularity. However, if at this moment someone can watch you from the side, then they will definitely see that you are falling. It's all about perception. Whatever is around you will fall relative to you (and as a result you will not be able to understand that you are falling), while for everyone who will be watching you, this will not be the case.

White hole

It is known that black holes eventually absorb absolutely everything that falls into their event horizon. Even light cannot escape a tragic fate. What is less known is what happens to all these doomed particles next. According to one theory, everything that falls into a black hole at one end comes out at the other end. And this second end is the so-called white hole.

Of course, no one has ever seen any white holes (or black holes either, frankly. We know of their existence only thanks to their powerful gravitational influence), so no one can say with certainty whether they are actually white. However, the reason they are called that is because white holes are the exact opposite of what black holes are. Instead of absorbing everything around them, they, on the contrary, spit out everything that is inside them. And just as in the case of a black hole, from which you cannot escape if you fall into its event horizon, so it is the same with a white hole. Just the opposite: you won’t be able to get into it.

In short: the white hole spits out everything that was absorbed by the black hole into an alternative Universe. This theory has somewhat led physicists to consider the possibility that white holes are the basis for the creation of our universe as we know it. And if you ever fall into a black hole and somehow survive and are able to come out the other side through a white hole in an alternative Universe, then you will never be able to return back to our Universe.

You will follow the history of the development of the Universe

As mentioned earlier, there is a possibility of black holes without a singularity at their center. Instead, there will be a so-called wormhole in the center. If we find a way to travel through a wormhole, we will likely witness the evolutionary history of the universe, which can be followed all the way to whatever is at the other end of the wormhole. It will look as if someone started a video with the history of the Universe in infinitely fast forward.

Unfortunately, this story will still have a bad ending. The faster the picture moves, the faster you will approach your death. The light will become more and more blue-shifted and charged until it completely fries you alive with its radiation.

Journey to a parallel universe

If one day you fall into a black hole, whether consciously or accidentally, then the first thing you need to do is try to look around. Maybe you can find a way out this way, who knows. Even if it turns out that it is no longer possible to return to the Universe from which you came, then ending up in a parallel Universe may not be such a bad end to your journey.

Physicists theorize that once you reach the black hole singularity, it can serve as a bridge between this reality and an alternate reality, or so-called “parallel universe.” What's happening in this new universe- remains a mystery and a field for our imagination. Some theories even suggest that there are an infinite number of alternate universes, each containing equal number completely different “you”.

Ever thought about the choices you've made in your life? What would happen if you got that job instead of this one, met that girl or guy, instead of sitting at the computer every day? Would you be richer or poorer if you didn't do or didn't do something you were once asked to do? So, in an alternative universe you will have a chance to find out.

You will become part of the Universe

Hawking once theorized that certain particles that fall into a black hole undergo some sort of filtering process into positively charged and negatively charged particles. These particles are very slowly absorbed by the black hole. As negatively charged particles are immersed in it, they lose their mass. Positively charged particles have enough energy to remain outside the black hole as radiation.

According to Hawking, black holes are slowly but surely losing their mass and getting hotter. They eventually explode and scatter their contents, called Hawking radiation, back into the universe. This, at least in theory, means that you can become part of the Universe, like the Phoenix reborn from the atomic ashes.

Bonus: You'll just... die

Sometimes we really like to ignore the most obvious and terrible consequences of this or that event, being blinded by the likelihood of more joyful combinations of circumstances.

As sadistic as it may sound, the most likely result of you falling into a black hole is that before you can even understand your presence inside it, not even ashes will be left of you. You won't even have time to understand what you have witnessed that physicists talk about as the key to understanding.

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An American science fiction film has already shown us what will happen if you fall into a black hole. But this is just fantasy, and it’s always interesting to know how it will actually be. Unfortunately, all further assumptions are just a theory; humanity does not have the level of technology to study black holes from a practical point of view.

The eternal force of motion of the universe

The universe is constantly in motion, every second of time:

• Satellites revolve around their planets.
• Planets revolve around stars.
• Stars move in a spiral around the center of the galaxy.
• Even galaxies do not stop moving for a second.

If you look at it this way, at this moment in time we are flying on a small “rock” in dimensionless space at an incredible speed. This very fact can make you sit down on the bed, find a point of support and sit quietly for a couple of minutes, without even trying to get up.

But a person does not feel such movement; everything is compensated by the Earth’s gravitational field. In this regard, you can only take the scientists’ word for it, but you can also make your own observations. For this we need a cloudless night and long exposure photography. From the photograph it will be clear that the stars change their position in the sky.

How are black holes formed?

But all this rotation must be due to some force. When it comes to the movement of planets, the gravitational influence of stars is sufficient. But what can set the heavenly bodies themselves in motion? A black hole can cope with this difficult task:

1. A body that is small in volume has colossal mass, even on a cosmic scale.
2. It takes millions of years to form a black hole.
3. The progenitor of the hole is considered to be a star that has used up its entire fuel supply.
4. Over time, as a result of nuclear reactions, the collapse of the “exhausted” star occurs.
5. All that remains of the star is the core, which is incredibly dense.
6. Due to its enormous mass, the black hole begins to influence surrounding objects.
7. The ones who are most unlucky are those who find themselves in the event horizon zone. Even rays of light are unable to “escape” from this radius.

A black hole does not always form. To do this, the original star must have a huge mass, and its collapse must proceed according to a certain scenario. You can calm everyone down in advance, Our Sun will not turn into a black hole under any circumstances, even after billions of years.

What does a black hole look like? Photo

In all photographs, the black hole looks exactly like a disk. But we remember that photographs are the recording of three-dimensional images in two-dimensional space. What will look like a disk in this case, except for the disk itself? Sphere. This gives us some ideas about the shape of black holes:

Sphere	Disk
All data is based only on photographs; in principle, we cannot obtain anything other than the disk.	So far in the images we have disks and nothing more. This means that it will not be possible to refute the statement in the coming years.
If the hole appeared as a result of the collapse of a spherical star, then it itself should have a similar shape.	We are talking about zones with very intense gravity; what forms can matter take under such conditions?
Observations have shown that it is the sphere that is the universal form.	A black hole is not a huge object; it can be of any type.

In fact, a black hole is most likely just a small sphere. An ultra-dense, small-sized sphere with enormous mass. To an outside observer, the hole will be absolutely black, for light cannot leave its limits. What it looks like from the inside is a completely different question, but there is no answer to it yet, since it is impossible to establish physically.

What's inside a black hole?

Presumably At the center of a black hole there is a superdense core, which provides a gravitational effect on the surrounding space:

• Gravity forms an event horizon beyond which no one and nothing can escape.
• Somewhere in the center there is a gravitational singularity. This is the point at which there can be no talk of any laws of physics.
• It is unknown in what form the substance that fell into the center of the hole is. Most likely, its complete destruction or “compaction” occurs.

There are many theories as to what exactly can be found inside a black hole. The options include a tunnel to a parallel reality, and “ fast way"to the other end of the galaxy, and unique opportunity go back in time.

But this is all romance and fantasy; most likely, in the center of the hole there is a super-dense substance, which, due to its mass, ensures the curvature of space and time around the celestial body. But when it comes to time warping, it is impossible to say with certainty what is there, beyond the point of no return. All assumptions are based only on the bold fantasies of scientists; today we have very few tools for at least some study of most mysteries.

What happens if you fall into a black hole?

Science fiction lovers will have to be “broken off” by falling into a black hole, a person will immediately die in a fraction of a millisecond:

1. The force of gravity will act on the body from all sides, much more powerful than earth's.
2. The entire path will be like an uncontrolled fall at tremendous speed.
3. During the flight to the center of the black hole, any object will gradually begin to stretch in length.
4. Even the human body can stretch for several kilometers. More precisely, what remains of the human body.
5. The remains will fall into the center of the hole itself, taking on a shape similar to a beam of light under the influence of gravity.

But from the outside, everything will look different, due to the curvature and slowdown of time. The rapid flight down will appear as a slow descent, slowing down with every second. After all, the closer to the center, the slower time flows.

Unfortunately, we will never know what will really happen if we fall into a black hole. But based on scientific data, we can make at least some assumptions, and this is already a lot.

Video about black holes in space

In this video, astronomer and physicist Georgy Maritsin will tell you what is inside a black hole, and what can happen if a person falls into it:

Illustration copyright Thinkstock

You might think that a person who falls into a black hole will die instantly. In reality, his fate may turn out to be much more surprising, says the correspondent.

What will happen to you if you fall inside a black hole? Maybe you think that you will be crushed - or, conversely, torn to shreds? But in reality everything is much stranger.

The moment you fall into a black hole, reality is split in two. In one reality you will instantly be incinerated, in another - you will dive deep into a black hole alive and unharmed.

Inside a black hole, the laws of physics we are familiar with do not apply. According to Albert Einstein, gravity bends space. Thus, if there is an object of sufficient density, the space-time continuum around it can be deformed so much that a hole is formed in reality itself.

A massive star that has used up all its fuel can turn into exactly the type of superdense matter that is necessary for the emergence of such a curved part of the Universe. A star collapsing under its own weight carries with it the space-time continuum around it. The gravitational field becomes so strong that even light can no longer escape from it. As a result, the region in which the star was previously located becomes completely black - this is a black hole.

Illustration copyright Thinkstock Image caption Nobody knows exactly what happens inside a black hole

The outer surface of a black hole is called the event horizon. This is the spherical boundary where a balance is achieved between the strength of the gravitational field and the efforts of light trying to escape the black hole. Once you cross the event horizon, it will be impossible to escape.

The event horizon is radiant with energy. Thanks to quantum effects, streams of hot particles appear on it and are emitted into the Universe. This phenomenon is called Hawking radiation, after the British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking who described it. Despite the fact that matter cannot escape beyond the event horizon, the black hole nevertheless “evaporates” - over time, it will finally lose its mass and disappear.

As we move deeper into the black hole, spacetime continues to bend and becomes infinitely curved at the center. This point is known as the gravitational singularity. Space and time cease to have any meaning in it, and all the laws of physics known to us, for the description of which these two concepts are needed, no longer apply.

Nobody knows what exactly awaits a person caught in the center of a black hole. Another universe? Oblivion? Rear wall bookcase, like in the American science fiction film "Interstellar"? It's a mystery.

Let's speculate - using your example - about what will happen if you accidentally fall into a black hole. In this experiment, you will be accompanied by an external observer - let's call her Anna. So Anna, at a safe distance, watches in horror as you approach the edge of the black hole. From her point of view, events will develop in a very strange way.

As you approach the event horizon, Anna will see you stretching out in length and narrowing in width, as if she were looking at you through a giant magnifying glass. In addition, the closer you fly to the event horizon, the more Anna will feel like your speed is decreasing.

Illustration copyright Thinkstock Image caption At the center of a black hole, space is infinitely curved

You won't be able to shout to Anna (since sound cannot be transmitted in airless space), but you can try to signal her in Morse code using the flashlight on your iPhone. However, your signals will reach it at ever increasing intervals, and the frequency of the light emitted by the flashlight will shift towards the red (long wavelength) part of the spectrum. This is what it will look like: “Order, order, order...”.

When you reach the event horizon, from Anna's point of view, you will freeze in place, as if someone paused the playback. You will remain motionless, stretched across the surface of the event horizon, and an ever-increasing heat will begin to engulf you.

From Anna's point of view, you will be slowly killed by the stretching of space, the stopping of time and the heat of Hawking radiation. Before you cross the event horizon and go deeper into the depths of the black hole, all you will be left with is ashes.

But don’t rush to order a funeral service - let’s forget about Anna for a while and look at this terrible scene from your point of view. And from your point of view, something even stranger will happen, that is, absolutely nothing special.

You fly straight to one of the most ominous points in the Universe without experiencing the slightest shaking - not to mention the stretching of space, time dilation or the heat of radiation. This is because you are in a state of free fall and therefore do not feel your weight - this is what Einstein called “the most good idea"of your life.

Indeed, the event horizon is not brick wall in space, but a phenomenon determined by the point of view of the observer. An observer standing outside the black hole cannot see through the event horizon, but that is his problem, not yours. From your point of view, there is no horizon.

If the size of our black hole were smaller, you would indeed encounter a problem - gravity would act unevenly on your body, and you would be pulled into the spaghetti. But luckily for you, this black hole is large - it is millions of times more massive than the Sun, so the gravitational force is weak enough to be negligible.

Illustration copyright Thinkstock Image caption You can't go back and get out of a black hole - just like none of us are capable of traveling back in time.

Inside a large enough black hole, you might even be able to live the rest of your life quite normally until you die in a gravitational singularity.

You may ask, how normal can the life of a person be if he is dragged against his will towards a hole in the space-time continuum with no chance of ever getting out?

But if you think about it, we are all familiar with this feeling - only in relation to time, and not to space. Time goes only forward and never backwards, and it really drags us along against our will, leaving us no chance to return to the past.

This is not just an analogy. Black holes bend the space-time continuum to such an extent that time and space are reversed within the event horizon. In a sense, you are drawn to the singularity not by space, but by time. You cannot go back and get out of a black hole - just like none of us are capable of traveling into the past.

You may now be wondering what's wrong with Anna. You are flying in the empty space of a black hole and everything is fine with you, and she mourns your death, claiming that you were incinerated by Hawking radiation with outside event horizon. Is she hallucinating?

In fact, Anna's statement is completely correct. From her point of view, you were truly fried at the event horizon. And this is not an illusion. Anna can even collect your ashes and send them to your family.

Illustration copyright Thinkstock Image caption The event horizon is not a brick wall, it is permeable

The fact is that, according to the laws of quantum physics, from Anna's point of view you cannot cross the event horizon and must remain on the outside of the black hole, since information is never lost forever. Every bit of information responsible for your existence must remain on the outer surface of the event horizon - otherwise, from Anna’s point of view, the laws of physics will be violated.

On the other hand, the laws of physics also require that you fly through the event horizon alive and unharmed, without encountering any hot particles or any other unusual phenomena along the way. Otherwise, the general theory of relativity will be violated.

So, the laws of physics want you to be both outside the black hole (as a pile of ash) and inside it (safe and sound). And one more important point: according to the general principles of quantum mechanics, information cannot be cloned. You need to be in two places at the same time, but only in one instance.

Physicists call this paradoxical phenomenon the term “disappearance of information in a black hole.” Fortunately, in the 1990s. scientists managed to resolve this paradox.

American physicist Leonard Susskind realized that there really is no paradox, since no one will see your cloning. Anna will watch one of your specimens, and you will watch the other. You and Anna will never meet again and will not be able to compare observations. And there is no third observer who could watch you both outside and inside the black hole at the same time. Thus, the laws of physics are not violated.

Unless you want to know which of your instances is real and which is not. Are you really alive or dead?

Illustration copyright Thinkstock Image caption Will a person fly through the event horizon unharmed or crash into a wall of fire?

The point is that there is no “reality”. Reality depends on the observer. There is “in reality” from Anna’s point of view and “in reality” from your point of view. That's it.

Almost everything. In the summer of 2012, physicists Ahmed Almheiri, Donald Marolf, Joe Polchinski and James Sully, collectively known as AMPS, proposed a thought experiment that threatened to revolutionize our understanding of black holes.

According to scientists, the resolution of the contradiction proposed by Susskind is based on the fact that the disagreement in the assessment of what is happening between you and Anna is mediated by the event horizon. It doesn't matter whether Anna actually saw one of your two copies die in a fire of Hawking radiation, since the event horizon prevented her from seeing your second copy flying deeper into the black hole.

But what if there was a way for Anna to find out what was happening on the other side of the event horizon without crossing it?

General relativity tells us this is impossible, but quantum mechanics blurs it out a bit strict rules. Anna could peer beyond the event horizon using what Einstein called “spooky action at a distance.”

We are talking about quantum entanglement - a phenomenon in which the quantum states of two or more particles separated by space mysteriously become interdependent. These particles now form a single and indivisible whole, and the information necessary to describe this whole is contained not in one particle or another, but in the relationship between them.

The idea put forward by AMPS is as follows. Let's say Anna picks up a particle near the event horizon - let's call it particle A.

If her version of what happened to you is true, that is, you were killed by Hawking radiation from the outside of the black hole, then particle A should be interconnected with another particle, B, which should also be on the outside of the event horizon.

Illustration copyright Thinkstock Image caption Black holes can attract matter from nearby stars

If your vision of events corresponds to reality, and you are alive and well with inside, then particle A must be interconnected with particle C, located somewhere inside the black hole.

The beauty of this theory is that each particle can only be connected to one other particle. This means that particle A is associated with either particle B or particle C, but not with both at the same time.

So Anna takes her particle A and runs it through the entanglement deciphering machine she has, which tells her whether the particle is connected to particle B or to particle C.

If the answer is C, your point of view has triumphed in violation of the laws of quantum mechanics. If particle A is connected to particle C, located in the depths of a black hole, then the information describing their interdependence is forever lost for Anna, which contradicts quantum law, according to which information is never lost.

If the answer is B, then, contrary to the principles of general relativity, Anna is right. If particle A is associated with particle B, you have indeed been incinerated by Hawking radiation. Instead of flying through the event horizon, as required by relativity, you crashed into a wall of fire.

So, we are back to the question with which we started - what happens to a person trapped inside a black hole? Will he fly through the event horizon unscathed thanks to a reality that surprisingly depends on the observer, or will he crash into a wall of fire ( blackholesfirewall, not to be confused with computer termfirewall, "firewall", software protecting your computer on the network from unauthorized intrusion - Ed.)?

Nobody knows the answer to this question, one of the most controversial issues in theoretical physics.

For over 100 years, scientists have been trying to reconcile the principles of general relativity and quantum physics in the hope that in the end one or the other will prevail. Resolving the wall of fire paradox should answer the question of which principles prevailed and help physicists create a comprehensive theory.

Illustration copyright Thinkstock Image caption Or maybe next time we should send Anna into a black hole?

The solution to the paradox of information disappearance may lie in Anna's deciphering machine. It is extremely difficult to determine which other particle particle A is interconnected with. Physicists Daniel Harlow of Princeton University in New Jersey and Patrick Hayden, now at Stanford University in California, wondered how long it would take.

In 2013, they calculated that even with the fastest computer possible according to the laws of physics, it would take Anna an extremely long time to decipher the relationships between particles - so long that by the time she got the answer , the black hole will evaporate a long time ago.

If this is so, it is likely that Anna is simply not destined to ever know whose point of view corresponds to reality. In this case, both stories will remain simultaneously true, reality will remain dependent on the observer, and none of the laws of physics will be violated.

In addition, the connection between highly complex calculations (which our observer, apparently, is not capable of) and the space-time continuum may lead physicists to some new theoretical thoughts.

Thus, black holes are not just dangerous objects on the path of interstellar expeditions, but also theoretical laboratories in which the slightest variations in physical laws grow to such sizes that they can no longer be neglected.

If the true nature of reality lurks somewhere, the best place to look for it is in black holes. But while we do not have a clear understanding of how safe the event horizon is for humans, it is still safer to observe the search from the outside. As a last resort, you can send Anna into the black hole next time - now it’s her turn.

Black holes are one of the most amazing and at the same time frightening objects in our Universe. They arise at the moment when stars with enormous mass run out of nuclear fuel. Nuclear reactions stop and the stars begin to cool. The body of the star contracts under the influence of gravity and gradually it begins to attract smaller objects to itself, transforming into a black hole.

First studies

Scientific luminaries began studying black holes not so long ago, despite the fact that the basic concepts of their existence were developed back in the last century. The very concept of a “black hole” was introduced in 1967 by J. Wheeler, although the conclusion that these objects inevitably arise during the collapse of massive stars was made back in the 30s of the last century. Everything inside the black hole - asteroids, light, comets absorbed by it - once approached too close to the boundaries of this mysterious object and failed to leave them.

Boundaries of black holes

The first of the boundaries of a black hole is called the static limit. This is the boundary of the region, entering which a foreign object can no longer be at rest and begins to rotate relative to the black hole in order to prevent itself from falling into it. The second boundary is called the event horizon. Everything inside a black hole once passed its outer boundary and moved towards the singularity point. According to scientists, here the substance flows into this central point, the density of which tends to infinity. People cannot know what laws of physics operate inside objects with such density, and therefore it is impossible to describe the characteristics of this place. In the literal sense of the word, it is a “black hole” (or perhaps a “gap”) in humanity’s knowledge of the world around us.

Structure of black holes

The event horizon is the impenetrable boundary of a black hole. Inside this boundary there is a zone that even objects whose movement speed is equal to the speed of light cannot leave. Even the quanta of light itself cannot leave the event horizon. Once at this point, no object can escape from the black hole. By definition, we cannot find out what is inside a black hole - after all, in its depths there is a so-called singularity point, which is formed due to the extreme compression of matter. Once an object falls inside the event horizon, from that moment on it will never be able to escape from it again and become visible to observers. On the other hand, those inside black holes cannot see anything happening outside.

The size of the event horizon surrounding this mysterious cosmic object is always directly proportional to the mass of the hole itself. If its mass is doubled, then the outer boundary will become twice as large. If scientists could find a way to turn the Earth into a black hole, then the size of the event horizon would be only 2 cm in cross section.

Main categories

As a rule, the mass of the average black hole is approximately equal to three solar masses or more. Of the two types of black holes, stellar and supermassive ones are distinguished. Their mass exceeds the mass of the Sun by several hundred thousand times. Stars are formed after the death of large celestial bodies. Regular mass black holes appear after completion life cycle big stars. Both types of black holes, despite their different origins, have similar properties. Supermassive black holes are located at the centers of galaxies. Scientists suggest that they were formed during the formation of galaxies due to the merger of stars closely adjacent to each other. However, these are only guesses, not confirmed by facts.

What's inside a black hole: guesses

Some mathematicians believe that inside these mysterious objects of the Universe there are so-called wormholes - transitions to other Universes. In other words, at the point of singularity there is a space-time tunnel. This concept has served many writers and directors. However, the vast majority of astronomers believe that there are no tunnels between the Universes. However, even if they did exist, there is no way for humans to know what is inside a black hole.

There is another concept, according to which at the opposite end of such a tunnel there is a white hole, from where a gigantic amount of energy flows from our Universe to another world through black holes. However, at this stage of the development of science and technology, travel of this kind is out of the question.

Connection with the theory of relativity

Black holes are one of the most amazing predictions of A. Einstein. It is known that the gravitational force that is created on the surface of any planet is inversely proportional to the square of its radius and directly proportional to its mass. For this celestial body, we can define the concept of second cosmic velocity, which is necessary to overcome this gravitational force. For the Earth it is equal to 11 km/sec. If the mass of the celestial body increases, and the diameter, on the contrary, decreases, then the second escape velocity may eventually exceed the speed of light. And since, according to the theory of relativity, no object can move faster than the speed of light, an object is formed that does not allow anything to escape beyond its limits.

In 1963, scientists discovered quasars - space objects that are giant sources of radio emission. They are located very far from our galaxy - their distance is billions of light years from Earth. To explain the extremely high activity of quasars, scientists have introduced the hypothesis that black holes are located inside them. This point of view is now generally accepted in scientific circles. Research conducted over the past 50 years has not only confirmed this hypothesis, but also led scientists to the conclusion that there are black holes at the center of every galaxy. There is also such an object in the center of our galaxy; its mass is 4 million solar masses. This black hole is called Sagittarius A, and because it is closest to us, it is the one most studied by astronomers.

Hawking radiation

This type of radiation, discovered by the famous physicist Stephen Hawking, significantly complicates the life of modern scientists - because of this discovery, many difficulties have arisen in the theory of black holes. In classical physics there is the concept of vacuum. This word denotes complete emptiness and absence of matter. However, with the development of quantum physics, the concept of vacuum was modified. Scientists have found that it is filled with so-called virtual particles - under the influence of a strong field they can turn into real ones. In 1974, Hawking discovered that such transformations can occur in the strong gravitational field of a black hole - near its outer boundary, the event horizon. Such a birth is paired - a particle and an antiparticle appear. As a rule, the antiparticle is doomed to fall into a black hole, and the particle flies away. As a result, scientists observe some radiation around these space objects. This is called Hawking radiation.

During this radiation, the matter inside the black hole slowly evaporates. The hole loses mass, and the intensity of the radiation is inversely proportional to the square of its mass. The intensity of Hawking radiation is negligible by cosmic standards. If we assume that there is a hole with the mass of 10 suns, and neither light nor any material objects fall on it, then even in this case the time for its decay will be monstrously long. The life of such a hole will exceed the entire existence of our Universe by 65 orders of magnitude.

Question about saving information

One of the main problems that appeared after the discovery of Hawking radiation is the problem of information loss. It is connected with a question that seems very simple at first glance: what happens when a black hole evaporates completely? Both theories - how quantum physics, and classical - deal with a description of the state of the system. Having information about the initial state of the system, using theory it is possible to describe how it will change.

At the same time, in the process of evolution, information about the initial state is not lost - a kind of law on the preservation of information operates. But if the black hole evaporates completely, then the observer loses information about that part physical world, which once fell into a hole. Stephen Hawking believed that information about the initial state of the system is somehow restored after the black hole has completely evaporated. But the difficulty is that, by definition, information transfer from a black hole is impossible - nothing can leave the event horizon.

What happens if you fall into a black hole?

It is believed that if in some incredible way a person could get to the surface of a black hole, then it would immediately begin to pull him in its direction. Ultimately, a person would become so stretched that he would become a stream of subatomic particles moving towards a point of singularity. It is, of course, impossible to prove this hypothesis, because scientists are unlikely to ever be able to find out what happens inside black holes. Now some physicists say that if a person fell into a black hole, he would have a clone. The first of its versions would be immediately destroyed by a stream of hot particles of Hawking radiation, and the second would pass through the event horizon without the possibility of returning back.