Why photon loss energy when escape from a black hole ?

In summary, photons increase in energy and frequency when they fall into a gravitational field, such as that of a black hole. However, when they escape from a black hole, they lose energy due to gravitational redshift. This phenomenon is explained by the famous formula E=mc2, which relates mass and energy. While photons always move at the speed of light, their energy can be affected by the gravitational pull of a black hole.
  • #1
big_bounce
102
3
Hello all .
Why photon increase energy and frequency when falls in gravitational field ? or decrease it's energy when escape from a black hole ?
 
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  • #2
"or decrease it's energy when escape from a black hole ?"

E = mc2
You can read more about this formula here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass–energy_equivalence

Black holes have an incredibly low temperature. Any photon whose energy is greater than that of the background radiation will contribute to the mass of the black hole.
 
  • #3
Assuming you mean move away from a black hole, so long as the photon hasn't entered the Event Horizon.

Take a baseball. Drop it. The closer it gets to the black hole, the faster it'll be moving. (Ignoring gravitational time-dilation effects, I won't go into those right now.) As it moves more quickly, it gains more kinetic energy. If you throw a baseball away from a black hole, the black hole's gravity will bring it to a halt (and then pull it in,) decreasing its kinetic energy.

The same holds for a photon. Not the speed bit, as they always locally move at c, but the energy bit. You might be wondering how it actually loses the energy, as again, photons always move at c (locally.) Now here's where the time dilation becomes important to our thought experiment.

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

Basically, while a photon moves away from a gravitating body, its frequency decreases. As the energy of a photon is proportional to its frequency, its energy also decreases.
 

Related to Why photon loss energy when escape from a black hole ?

1. Why do photons lose energy when escaping from a black hole?

Photons lose energy when escaping from a black hole because of the intense gravitational pull of the black hole. The closer a photon gets to the event horizon (the point of no return), the stronger the gravitational pull becomes. This causes the photon to lose energy and its wavelength to increase, which means it shifts towards the red end of the spectrum.

2. How does the black hole's gravity affect the escape of photons?

The black hole's gravity affects the escape of photons in two ways. First, it causes the photon to lose energy, as explained in the previous answer. Second, it bends the path of the photon, which means it cannot travel in a straight line. This bending of light is known as gravitational lensing.

3. Can any photons escape from a black hole?

Yes, some photons can escape from a black hole. However, they must be emitted from outside of the event horizon in order to have enough energy to escape. Once a photon crosses the event horizon, it can no longer escape.

4. How does a photon's energy affect its ability to escape a black hole?

A photon's energy directly affects its ability to escape a black hole. The more energy a photon has, the closer it can get to the event horizon before it is pulled back in. Photons with higher energies (such as gamma rays) have a better chance of escaping compared to lower energy photons (such as radio waves).

5. Is it possible for a photon to escape a black hole without losing energy?

No, it is not possible for a photon to escape a black hole without losing energy. The intense gravitational pull of a black hole will always cause a photon to lose energy as it attempts to escape. However, the amount of energy lost can vary depending on the distance from the event horizon and the energy of the photon itself.

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