Our universe is mysteriously beautiful! We have mesmerizing natural wonders around us. But the natural beauty we have here on earth is just one out of several wonderful creations. We have stars, meteors and comets, rings around planets, planetary systems, galaxies, supernova’s etc. but still there is one thing which is greater than all mysteries. Yes, it is a Black Hole!!
A Black Hole is a region in space and time where the force of gravity is so strong that nothing – not even light - can escape from it.
How are they formed?
It all started with a… no not a Big Bang but a Star! A star is luminous ball of plasma held together by its own gravity. Stars mostly consist of Hydrogen and Helium. Two hydrogen atoms fuse together to form helium giving out energy in the form of radiations. This process is called Nuclear Fusion.
During nuclear fusion, 2 light weight atoms come together to form a heavy atom and release a tremendous amount of energy during the process. As the process continues, elements till Iron are formed without much difficulties. Fusion of Iron in the core doesn’t generate any energy so it keeps on building up till Gravity takes on radiation. And then BOOOOMMM…..
The core collapses and within a fraction of a second, the star implodes moving in at about a quarter of the speed of light. This process increases the mass at the core. Unfortunately, the Star kicks the bucket in a Supernova explosion.
Now there are two possibilities, either a star can transform into a Neutron star or a Black hole. Star becomes a neutron star after a supernova explosion if the mass of the star is greater than 1.5 Solar Mass (Solar Mass: mass of the Sun). If the Mass of the star is less than 1.44 Solar Mass, the star becomes a White Dwarf according to Chandrasekhar Limit.
If the Star is massive enough, all its mass collapses into Black Hole and that’s how a Black Hole is Formed!
What’s inside a Black hole?
When we talk about the black hole, we actually talk about the Event Horizon. Event Horizon is the Black Spherical Surface beyond which we can’t see. If something passes the event horizon, to come out, it will have to travel faster than the speed of light. Which according to Albert Einstein isn’t possible.
Since no information can be collected from the inside, maybe we will never know what’s inside it. Some scientists and Astrophysicists believe that there is a singularity inside a black hole. Singularity is an infinitely dense point where all the mass is concentrated. Hence it has a huge force of gravity acting on it.
My Perspective!
I have a quite different approach towards Black holes. I do believe that they exist and also the process of their formation. But somehow, I am not convinced with the concept of singularity. For me the total mass of a black whole is scattered throughout the volume inside the event horizon.
And What Really Happens in there?
As far as I know, When Iron is formed in the core of a star, it is difficult for the star to fuse Iron to maintain the balance between Gravity and the Radiation. When this happens, the star has no other choice but to let all its mass collapse because of gravity. But on the other hand, what if? The supernova explosion is just the beginning of a new phase?
The fusion of Iron requires external energy. So, may be, With the help of supernova Explosion, the star converts its mass into energy which is then fed for the fusion of Iron and other heavier elements. And since energy is provided in the form of radiation, Radiation (Light) never actually escapes the Event horizon.
Note: My views are highly personal and are not meant to be offensive for any one.
Also my views are open for discussion. So please let me know about them in the comments section below.