New theory suggests some black holes might predate the Big Bang

Published: 13 May 2011 y., Friday

Cosmologists Alan Coley from Canada's Dalhousie University and Bernard Carr from Queen Mary University in London, have published a paper on arXiv, where they suggest that some so-called primordial black holes might have been created in the Big Crunch that came before the Big Bang, which lends support to the theory that the Big Bang was not a single event, but one that occurs over and over again as the universe crunches down to a single point, then blows up again, over and over.

The idea is based on the fact that the Earth, and the rest of the known universe is occasionally bombarded with unexplained bursts of gamma rays; something that could, according to Coley and Carr, be the result of primordial black holes running out of energy and disintegrating.

Primordial black holes are thought to be of a different type than the regular kind that are formed when a supernova occurs, leaving a void that is filled by the entity that is commonly known as a black hole. Many theorists support the notion that there does exist other types of black holes that were formed in the first “moments” after the Big Bang; black holes that would be smaller and created by the energy of the Big Bang itself. In this new theory, however, Coley and Carr suggest that some of these black holes, if they do actually exist, might have been created by the collapsing universe as part of the Big Crunch, and then somehow escaped being pulled into the pinpoint singularity comprised of everything else. And then, after the Big Bang, they simply assimilated with the newly formed universe. One problem they agree on is that it would likely be impossible to tell the difference between pre and post Big Bang primordial black holes.

It’s all purely speculation of course, as no one has ever actually seen a primordial black hole, or even offered much proof that they exist, but it does raise very difficult questions; ones that are impossible for scientists much less casual observers to answer. Questions such as, if the universe contracts, then blows up, over and over, has this gone on forever? Or is it possible that our view of the universe is so limited that we’re only seeing one tiny fraction of it, and thus, any theories or explanations we offer, are little more than guesses. And finally, maybe the hardest one of all; is it possible that the universe actually goes on forever; that it has no boundaries or borders? Which would mean the Big Bang was actually little more than one tiny event going on in one small part of an endless expanse.

It’s possible that no matter how long we as a people survive, we’ll never really know the answers to such questions, which might in the end mean, we’ll just have to take our theories on faith.

Šaltinis: physorg.com
Copying, publishing, announcing any information from the News.lt portal without written permission of News.lt editorial office is prohibited.

Facebook Comments

New comment


Captcha

Associated articles

Related videos

05/02/2014

Padėkime augti

Nokia offers augmented reality job search

Mobile phone giant Nokia is enlisting Britain’s young entrepreneurs to build new businesses using its career services app, JobLens. Launched in June, JobLens is a Windows Phone 8 app that helps users search for jobs in their local area. more »

Antarctic ice-flow map reveals clues to climate change

A new map of Antarctica illustrates for the first time how ice moves across the continent. more »

Experimental plane reaches 13,000 mph

The US Department of Defense's innovations arm, known as DARPA, has released test-flight video of its experimental hypersonic aircraft travelling at a speed of Mach 20, about 13,000 miles per hour. more »

Scientists develop new weapon against bird-strike at airports

New Zealand scientists have developed a designed to reduce the number of bird strikes at airports. more »

Taiwanese researchers introduce first erasable electronic paper

Taiwanese researchers are taking recycling to a new level with "i2r e-Paper", a rewritable electronic paper that can be re-used up to 260 times. The developers say their e-paper will soon replace the conventional paper used for signs and posters. more »

Wireless car technology promises charge-free future for motorists

Wireless car technology promises charge-free future for motorists While electric-powered cars are rapidly gaining momentum as a viable alternative to conventional petrol-driven vehicles, there are now moves afoot to produce cars that can be charged wirelessly. The technology behind wireless electric cars could herald an idyllic future for motorists in which they can drive as far as they like without ever worrying about recharging. more »

Transplant patient takes heart from pioneering surgery

A British man is preparing to leave hospital after pioneering surgery to install an artificial heart implant. The implant is powered by a portable driver worn in a shoulder bag and is designed to keep Matthew Green alive while he waits for a heart transplant. more »

20 million year-old fossil found

A twenty million year-old fossil, thought to be from a distant cousin of modern apes, is discovered in Uganda. more »

Virtual reality helps ready surgeons for the operating

Forget scrubbing up, a new virtual surgery simulator uses the latest computer technology to train surgeons for laproscopic surgery, dramatically decreasing the need for practice on human patients. more »

Scientists warn of Planet of the Apes science

A group of British scientists have expressed concerns that experiments on primates could give rise to a 'Planet of the Apes' type scenario. more »