A 2023 study by Professor Haino Falk and his team at Ladbou University revealed that not just black holes, but all cosmic entities can “evaporate” through a mechanism akin to Hawking radiation. Following the publication, the researchers were inundated with inquiries regarding the duration of this process. Their latest findings estimate that the universe’s conclusion is approximately 1078 years away. If only radiation, similar to Hawking radiation, is taken into account, the timeline shortens to just a few years. This represents the time required for a white dwarf—the most stable astronomical object—to collapse through a Hawking-like radiation process. Previous research, which overlooked this effect, had estimated the lifespan of white dwarfs to be around 101100 years.
An artistic depiction of neutron stars undergoing gradual ‘evaporation’ through Hawking-like radiation. Image credits: Daniëlle Futselaar/Artsource.nl.
“Thus, the ultimate conclusion of the universe will arrive significantly sooner than anticipated; however, rest assured, it will still take an incredibly long time,” noted Professor Falk.
In 1975, physicist Stephen Hawking proposed that particles and radiation could escape black holes, challenging the conventional framework of relativity.
Near the edge of a black hole, two transient particles emerge; one gets drawn into the black hole while the other successfully escapes.
A notable outcome of Hawking radiation is the gradual disintegration of black holes into particles and radiation.
This finding stands in opposition to Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity.
Professor Falk and his co-authors determined that the process of Hawking radiation applies to various objects with theoretically significant gravitational fields.
Their further calculations indicated that the “evaporation time” for an object is contingent entirely upon its density.
Surprisingly, neutron stars and stellar black holes have an identical decay time of 1067 years.
This result was unexpected, given that black holes possess a more intense gravitational field.
“However, black holes lack a surface,” remarked Dr. Michael Wandrack, a postdoctoral researcher at Radboud University.
“They reabsorb parts of their own radiation, which inhibits the process.”
“We also explored how long it would take for humans and the moon to evaporate via Hawking-like radiation: about 1090 years,” the researcher added.
“Naturally, other mechanisms could lead to faster disappearance for humans and the moon.”
“This research exemplifies an exciting interdisciplinary collaboration, merging astrophysics, quantum physics, and mathematics to yield new insights,” stated Professor Walter Van Suisilecom from Radboud University.
“By pursuing these inquiries and examining extreme scenarios, we aim to enhance our understanding of the theory. Hopefully, one day, we will unravel the enigma surrounding Hawking radiation.”
The new paper is set to be published in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics.
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Haino Falke et al. 2025. The lifetime limit of the star remnants from gravity pair generation. jcap in press; Arxiv: 2410.14734
Source: www.sci.news
