What is Event horizon: Definition and 302 Discussions

In astrophysics, an event horizon is a boundary beyond which events cannot affect an observer. The term was coined by Wolfgang Rindler.In 1784, John Michell proposed that in the vicinity of compact massive objects, gravity can be strong enough that even light cannot escape. At that time, the Newtonian theory of gravitation and the so-called corpuscular theory of light were dominant. In these theories, if the escape velocity of an object exceeds the speed of light, then light originating inside or from it can escape temporarily but will return. In 1958, David Finkelstein used General Relativity to introduce a stricter definition of a local black hole event horizon as a boundary beyond which events of any kind cannot affect an outside observer. This led to information and firewall paradoxes, which encouraged the re-examination of the concept of local event horizons and the notion of black holes. Several theories were subsequently developed, some with, and some without, event horizons. Stephen Hawking, who was one of the leading developers of theories to describe black holes, suggested that an apparent horizon should be used instead of an event horizon, saying "gravitational collapse produces apparent horizons but no event horizons". He eventually concluded that "the absence of event horizons means that there are no black holes – in the sense of regimes from which light can't escape to infinity."Any object that approaches the horizon from the observer's side appears to slow down and never quite crosses the horizon. Due to gravitational redshift, its image reddens over time as the object moves away from the observer.In an expanding universe the speed of expansion reaches and even exceeds the speed of light, which prevents signals from travelling to some regions. A cosmic event horizon is a real event horizon because it affects all kinds of signals, including gravitational waves which travel at the speed of light.
More specific types of horizon include the related but distinct absolute and apparent horizons found around a black hole. Other distinct types include the Cauchy and Killing horizons; the photon spheres and ergospheres of the Kerr solution; particle and cosmological horizons relevant to cosmology; and isolated and dynamical horizons important in current black hole research.

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  1. .Scott

    B Crashing into an event horizon

    I was just reading a review http://physics.aps.org/articles/v9/62 of a recent paper authored by Physics luminaries (http://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.231301). The paper itself is behind a paywall - and I suspect the math is more than I have the energy for. The gist...
  2. Vidar Martinsen

    I Looking out from a event horizon

    Lets look at the known story of Alice and Bob outside a Black hole. Alice are falling inn to the hole, and Bob are outside. What would Alice observe from the event horizon of a Black hole. Looking outward. We know Bob who is outside, se Allices clock standing still, but Allices clock are not...
  3. T

    I Event Horizon of Telescope Through Earth: Does It Exist?

    Assume we drill a hole through the Earth - through the center towards the other side. Then we use a telescope, point it through the hole and observe stars on the other side of the earth. The telescope experiences a constant acceleration from Earth's gravitation. Accelerated movements have an...
  4. haael

    A Do black holes lose hair in finite time?

    OK, so it's time to start a new thread. I heard many times that there exists only one black hole solution for a given mass and angular momentum, but I know already that this is not true. We all know that if we throw something into an existing black hole, its event horizon starts to ripple. So...
  5. nomadreid

    I 2 particles created around event horizon: out or inside?

    The question is simple, and I have checked the "similar discussions" and googled, but I still come out with various replies. I also know that experimental evidence that could back up the selected choice would be tricky, not to say impossible. But at least according to theory: the entangled...
  6. G

    B Can a black hole event horizon grow at the speed of light?

    Assume a spherical black hole that is eating matter from its surroundings. Then its Schwarzschild radius will increase with a speed proportional to the mass flux that enters the black hole. The question is: is this speed limited by the speed of light in vacuum c? If the event horizon is a...
  7. 4

    B What are the biggest misconceptions about black holes?

    Hey guys, I'm currently doing a project on black holes and need some input on what you believe to be the biggest misconceptions about black holes, thanks! You can read more about the guidelines of the project at: http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/projects/aqa-certificate/EPQ-7993
  8. Jonathan Scott

    A Event horizon vicinity in isotropic coordinates

    The Schwarzschild radial coordinate ##r## is defined in such a way that the proper circumference of a sphere at radial coordinate ##r## is ##2\pi r##. This simplifies some maths but creates some rather odd side-effects, so to get a more physical picture I like to use isotropic coordinates...
  9. nomadreid

    I Conditions necessary for a human to survive event horizon

    In various explanations of the event horizon which do not invoke the existence of a firewall (thereby upholding the dictum that an observer would not notice any difference upon passing the event horizon until she looked out the window), one uses the concept of a theoretical observer passing the...
  10. Chris11235

    General Relativity and Hawking Radiation at the Event Horizon

    The question is to resolve a logical conflict. GR says as we fall into a black hole, an outside observer will see that event come to a stand still as if the falling object is hovering at the horizon. This stand still extends to infinite time. Unfortunately, I've read and hear the term...
  11. Italian_Mike

    Can Light Move Inside a Black Hole Event Horizon?

    The question is as follows: suppose I throw a metal bar 1m long inside the event horizon of a supermassive black hole of 1 million solar masses. At both ends of the metal bar there is a light source. (I chose a supermassive black hole to rule out any spaghettification process: with some quick...
  12. .Scott

    Pull Mass from 2 Black Holes: Uncovering the Mystery of Gravity Waves

    OK, in solar mass terms, 29+36=62 with 3 left over. Or make that 3 left out. This is a little-advertised mechanism for pulling mass from a black hole. And, since the output is gravity waves, it doesn't seem to be directly related to Hawking Radiation. Somehow intense gravity can scoop out...
  13. A

    How did black holes merge in finite time?

    This question is in context of the recent gravitational wave detection by aLigo. Apparently aLigo has detected the entire process, including the before merger, during merger, and aftermath of the completed merger. My understanding is that two black holes should not be seen to be merging in...
  14. A

    Can a black hole shrink another black hole's event horizon?

    http://cdn4.sci-news.com/images/2016/02/image_3628-Gravitational-Waves.jpg In the above image, i can see that the event horizon of each black hole has decreased in size. Does that mean that the event horizon can shrink in the presence of another black hole?
  15. G

    How is information lost if nothing passes the event horizon?

    Hi. From an outside observer's view, any object approaching the event horizon of a black hole appears to slow down and never quite pass through the horizon. So information about those objects can always be retrieved (if you correct for the redshift). So what actually is the information paradox...
  16. verschrankung

    Schwarzschild radius calculation

    Is this the proper formula for calculating the Schwarzschild radius of a black hole? rs = 2GM / c2 If it is not, or if anyone has one that might work better, could you refer it to me?
  17. P

    Event Horizon Conflicts: Understanding the Unknown

    From another discussion, I realize my understanding of Event Horizons is quite lacking, but I am unable to find a definitive, reliable answer to fillbthe gaps. My issue is essentially that of trying to resolve the apparent conflict between an observer, Alice who remains motionless wrt a BH at...
  18. newjerseyrunner

    Does the event horizon change as large objects approach it?

    If there is a large mass near a black hole, is the event horizon teardrop shaped? Today I was thinking if it was possible to violate the idea that anything that passes the event horizon is gone forever. I forgot to label my picture, Figure 1 is the top and Figure 2 is the bottom. I imagine a...
  19. sevenperforce

    Event horizon and quantum tunneling

    It's been a while since I took any QM so I'm fairly rusty...not even sure that I'm asking this in the right way. How does one set up the equations to determine the characteristics of quantum tunneling if you have a particle with a particular energy inside an event horizon? For example, suppose...
  20. B

    Maximum velocity of a falling object at the event horizon?

    If an object is an infinite distance from a black hole and falls directly to the black hole without being affected by any other force, what is its velocity at the event horizon?
  21. N

    Observer dependent event horizon for Schwarzschild black hole

    Hello. In oral exams my professor likes to ask if Alice and Bob can communicate, if Alice ist just above the event horizon of a schwarzschild black hole and Bob ist just below. He wants to hear: Communication is possible, because the event horizon is observer dependent. Only an observer...
  22. Smattering

    Time dilation at the event horizon of a black hole

    Dear all, As far as I understand, for a distant observer, time stands still at the event horizon of a black hole, right? In particular, nothing will ever pass the EH. Instead, everything that approaches the BH will get stuck at the EH and stay there forever from the perspective of the distant...
  23. A

    Explore Entropy & Event Horizons: Self-Taught Physics

    I am by no means an expert in physics being largely self taught (day job is a medical student) but have an avid interest in trying to understand the fundamental nature of our universe. In doing so I'm currently reading the book "Trespassing on Einstein's Lawn" by Amanda Gefter and came across...
  24. P

    Observing the event horizon of a black hole

    For an observer far away, nothing ever seems to actually cross the event horizon of a black hole, but to "freeze" right at the event horizon. Does this mean that if we could observe a black hole, we would be able to still see everything that has ever entered the black hole? Would every object...
  25. RealTwistedTwin

    What happens to matter when it enters a black hole?

    There are many videos and articles about this topic (what it looks like if you fall into a black hole). I remember hearing that, inside the event horizon of a black hole, time has essentially stopped for an outside observer. However, if you fell into one that would mean that any amount of time...
  26. S

    How do I calculate the event horizon?

    I am clearly talking about black holes. The event horizon is the limit where even a photon won't escape it. I tried to calculate it in the easy way using enegry calculation m * MG/R = mc^2 / 2 but I do not know if I am using the right equation or even if I can divide by the m because it...
  27. P

    Finite tidal forces at black hole event horizon redux

    What's the best way to explain why tidal forces for an observer free-falling through an event horizon are finite? My first thought was to say that "gravity isn't a force, it's a curved space-time". On further thought, however, it seems to me that consideration of the Rindler horizon shows...
  28. Stephanus

    Spaghettification near event horizon

    Dear PF Forum, Can we avoid spaghettification for some times, once we're inside event horizon? I choose a rather massive black hole, so the tidal force won't be so big at EH. Mass: 1 trillion solar mass Schwarzschild radius: 2.950 trillion KM What is the gravitational force at EH? I calculate...
  29. H

    Questions about black holes and wormholes

    Questions about black holes: Various articles mention that it takes infinite amount of time to observe something pass through the event horizon. Does this imply that the redshift observed from afar would carry on forever, that the infalling object would just become dimmer and dimmer, but never...
  30. P

    Why is black hole photon sphere outside the event horizon?

    Homework Statement I am preparing a report on black holes and I recently learned about a phenomenon I was previously unaware of: the photon sphere of a black hole. While reading an article on said occurrence (I have now confirmed this on multiple sources) the photon sphere which is the minimum...
  31. MattRob

    Material Behavior at the Event Horizon

    In classical mechanics, to raise from some height h_{0} to infinity over a gravitational body, takes a certain amount of energy, the energy associated with escape velocity, let's just call it ε. ε = \lim_{t\rightarrow +\infty} \int_{h_{0}}^t ƒ(h)dh Likewise, it's time-reversible, so dropping...
  32. btouellette

    Flat Spacetime at Event Horizon of Black Hole?

    I've been working through Leonard Susskind's "The Theoretical Minimum" lecture series (which are a fantastic introduction to the topics covered by the way) and a couple of his comments confused me when he was covering the Kruskal-Szekeres metric/coordinates in General Relativity. The end of the...
  33. G

    How gravity works beyond the Event Horizon

    Forgive my ignorance here, I'm not a physicist, but the exact nature of gravity beyond the Event Horizon has me a bit stumped. Say I cross the Horizon of a Supermassive Black Hole, meaning the pull on me isn't really that much stronger than Earth's pull initially - why can't I then escape...
  34. Curtph

    Can I stick my arm in past the event horizon?

    So the event horizon is the distance from the singularity where escape velocity exceeds the speed of light, right? Well let's say I am standing next to the event horizon, RIGHT next to it. What if I stick my arm in past the event horizon, then pull it out. I can't do that, right? Why not...
  35. S

    Mass velocity at a black hole event horizon.

    SR implies that mass can't reach c, but mass does reach a black hole's event horizon. How is this reconciled with SR?
  36. M

    Gravitational Time Dilation at Event Horizon

    According to Wikipedia, the gravitational time dilation formula is given by t_0 = t_f \sqrt{1 - \frac{2GM}{rc^2}} = t_f \sqrt{1 - \frac{r_0}{r}} where t0 is the proper time between events A and B for a slow-ticking observer within the gravitational field, tf is the coordinate time between...
  37. J

    A particle near an event horizon

    Homework Statement A sub-atomic particle is near the event horizon of a black hole. Due to the nearby gravitational field, the Ricci Curvature Tensor is changing rapidly. The particle then performs quantum tunneling. Homework Equations Which version of spacetime does the tunneling particle...
  38. W

    Calculating the event horizon of black holes.

    Hello, I remember hearing somewhere that it is possible to calculate the event horizon, I was just wondering if this is possible and what equations are used to calculate it.
  39. A

    Hawking radiation prevents event horizon crossing?

    No one seems to be bothered by this except me: Black holes have a finite lifetime measured in Schwartzchild time due to Hawking radiation. Similarly, the universe probably has a finite lifetime measured in Schwartzchild time. In that case, nothing ever falls through the event horizon of a black...
  40. ChrisVer

    Black Hole Event Horizon: Is There a Physical Boundary?

    Is there a physical boundary that is the event horizon? Or is there not? The reason I'm asking is because texts say that the event horizon that appears in Schwarzschild's metric is a result of the coordinate choice, and it disappears by choosing some other coordinates.
  41. Heisenberg1993

    Event Horizon in a closed, matter (dust) dominated universe

    Hi! It is stated in V. Mukhanov's book "Physical foundations of Cosmology" the following (page 44, after equation 2.25): "In contrast, for the dust dominated universe, where ηmax=2π, the event horizon exists only during the contraction phase when η>π." could someone please explain why is this...
  42. S

    Event horizon in different coordinate systems

    Hi guys, I have a GR question. It is usually said that black holes have event horizons in which time freezes/stops relative to an outside observer. This happens in the Schwarzschild coordinate system. But are there any coordinate systems in which the coordinate time of the black hole and its...
  43. avito009

    Why does surface area of an Event Horizon increase?

    Stephen hawking came to know of a study that stated that surface area of an event horizon increases. So he said that since area has increased Entropy also had increased. But why does surface area of an Event Horizon increase?
  44. EinsteinKreuz

    Sagittarius A* and its event horizon

    So in 2009 there was this paper which described what was known back then based on observational data and the final sentence in the conclusion read as follows: Now for you astrophysicists here, has anything changed? It is my understanding, and please correct me if I'm wrong, that as of 2013...
  45. C

    Why must the event horizon be a null surface?

    The event horizon is a null surface in spacetime separating events that are causally connected to an observer from those that are not. Does anyone have a good, simple argument on why it must be a null surface?
  46. .Scott

    What happens when an object approaches an event horizon?

    My question is: Is my picture of what happens as something approaches an event horizon accurate - and are there any citations describing it? I got my "picture" from a PBS broadcast several years ago. It was since mentioned in these forums, but I haven't been able to find an explicit mention...
  47. avito009

    Is there vacuum at the Event Horizon of a Black Hole?

    As all of us know that in a vacuum the particle antiparticle pairs or the virtual particles are created violating the law of conservation of energy. So even near an Event Horizon of a Black Hole virtual particles are formed. One of the particles gets sucked into the black hole but the other...
  48. J

    Entanglement and event horizon

    If one of two entangled particles passes the event horizon of a black hole, will the entanglement still exist? Because that would mean information can come from a black hole.
  49. J

    Crossing the Event Horizon: Observing a Massive Black Hole

    A number of recent threads have discussed what happens when an observer falling into a massive black hole passes the event horizon. What I would like to know is this. For a massive BH of mass M, Schwartzchild Radius Rs, how long would it take for such an observer (who, presumably crosses the...
  50. marcophys

    HT 'low current' resistance fundamentals in Tungsten Welder - event horizon

    Does anybody understand the fundamentals of what is happening in this circuit? Tungsten welding info is all about high current... but this is a low current scenario. AC input, CDI Coil generated 20Kv (estimated) suffers voltage drop over 100mm of tungsten rod. The larger the diameter... the...
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