3
$\begingroup$

Would a black hole after eons of losing mass due to Hawking radiation, eventually turn into a burning star again? As it’s pressure will no longer be overwhelmed by the gravity it once had and through proton decay the heavier elements would be stripped back into hydrogen?

Improve this question
$\endgroup$
1
  • $\begingroup$ The formation of a gravitational singularity is an irreversible process. $\endgroup$
    – Daddy Kropotkin
    Apr 2, 2022 at 13:30

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
5
$\begingroup$

Black holes are not lumps of matter held together by gravity, but something very different. So while Hawking radiation will eventually make them evaporate and this process gets hotter and faster the smaller they get, the end result is just that the mass once captured is re-radiated as energetic particles. Exactly what happens at the last moments of evaporation is still unknown, but it will never be a star.

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
2
  • $\begingroup$ Could you please elaborate? Will the event horizon not disappear once the BH mass goes under the critical mass? $\endgroup$
    – PunchyRascal
    Aug 6, 2022 at 21:08
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ The hole does not stop being a hole at any critical mass: the event horizon just shrinks as the hole gets lighter. $\endgroup$
    – Anders Sandberg
    Aug 7, 2022 at 5:57

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .