According to new research, if minute black holes that were made during the Big Bang exist, there could be some that were snared by stars and currently forced to eat from the inside.
Atom-Sized Black Holes
The detection of these primordial and hypothetical black holes, which may have formed dense and hot matter clumps that collapsed right after the Universe was born, may help narrow down claims regarding the formation of black holes and the early universe. However, spotting a star fraction that could snag black holes that move fast could yield certain challenges, as noted by the authors.
The findings were detailed in the "Solar Evolution Models with a Central Black Hole" study.
Astrophysicist Earl Bellinger, the study's lead author from the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, explains that they believe that if primordial black holes exist, they must traverse the galaxy with incredible speed. If these holes are to have an encounter with a star, they will likely pass through it like a bullet shooting through.
However, a small black hole subset, which covers those that slowly travel, will be able to be star-captured. If this were the case, it could be possible to find them.
According to Bellinger's team, two different things could happen if the primordial black holes were to be star-snared. Bellinger explains that, firstly, the black hole could be too tiny to affect the star, as extremely low-mass black holes are unable to double their mass throughout their lifetime in the Universe.
The second possible scenario is that the black hole is big enough to efficiently grow through star consumption.
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Black Holes Eating Stars From Inside?
Primordial black holes are believed to have masses that are 100,000 times less than those of a paper clip. However, larger examples of them could still lead to visible star effects that trap them, as these holes could consume the material of stars as millions of years pass.
If black hole cannibalism were the case, the hole would eat the star from the star's inside and go out. This would cause the core of the star to churn and release more energy. It would also end up swelling, like a red giant star. However, its temperature levels will not increase the same way other stars, like the Sun, undergo the process as they release hydrogen that fuels their core's nuclear fusion.
The red giants that are cool are also known as red stragglers. Astronomers have been able to discover roughly 500 of them.
The researchers note that these red stragglers could be Hawking stars, or black hole-powered stars. This was first suggested by Stephen Hawking in a paper published in 1971.
Black hole presence within Hawking stars could shed light on red stragglers' evolutionary paths. By examining the pulse and vibration of red stragglers, astronomers could be able to find out if feasting is taking place within the stars.
The researchers add that if primordial black holes truly exist, they may pervade the Universe, including the Earth's very own neighborhood. The remarkably small size and high speed of the objects could be why they have remained elusive.
The researchers plan to look deeper into how black holes are capable of eating their way out and use the data to observe the pulses of some Hawking star candidates. They also want to see the likelihood of these stars having black holes in their centers.
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