Astronomy / Space Two black holes colliding?

Asp Explorer

Asp Explorer
I wonder how such collisions actually happen though. If once inside an event horizon, all future paths lead to the singularity, what determines which singularity in merging black holes with merging (overlapping) event horizons?

If one black hole is massively bigger than the other, would that not mean a singularity and event horizon at some point completely in another event horizon? How could you have a speed limit on light in an area that is already beyond the first event horizon? My brain melts with all this lol.
 

Zieman

Zieman
Crimson Kaim said:
No, not Elite: Dangerous, sorry.

But a rather interesting (very short) article for us space-fanatics:

http://www.unilad.co.uk/articles/two-black-holes-discovered-on-a-disastrous-collision-course/


Enjoy :)
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Pretty interesting, but the article is badly witten, containing such nonsense as
It is claimed that the distance between them has been estimated at around one million light years away – or the diameter of our solar system.
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Our Solar System certainly isn't that big. :D
And if the black holes orbit each other once in 5 years while having a million LY semi-major axis, they'd be moving pretty darn fast... :D
 
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Don Alvarez

Don Alvarez
Notice astronomers always seem to try and one-up the other by finding the more destructive forces in the universe. WR 104, Death star galaxies, and now this. Two black holes colliding, the most destructive force in the universe! You know what also might happen? Nothing. They may happily merge together without a peep like two drops of water coalescing.
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This is interesting, but it's also a terrible article.
It is claimed that the distance between them has been estimated at around one million light years away – or the diameter of our solar system.
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Didn't realize our solar system was that large.
edit -- ninja'ed
the power of the collision will measure over 100 million supernovae. Yes, that’s bleeping powerful.
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did just use the F word? In a science article thats not about procreation? Journalists these days....
 
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CMDR Starschulz

CMDR Starschulz
So, first we have to worry about an asteroid hitting our planet, then our sun exploding, and then two black holes destroying the galaxy? do we EVER get a break?
 

CmdrJacks

CmdrJacks
That's not scary at all.

On an unrelated note, anyone know a place with special deals on new trousers (and underwear)?

Never mind, you really should go to the source for this kind of information.

This simulation helps explain an odd light signal thought to be coming from a close-knit pair of merging black holes, PG 1302-102, located 3.5 billion light-years away.
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The candidate black hole duo, called PG 1302-102, was first identified earlier this year using ground-based telescopes. The black holes are the tightest orbiting pair detected so far, with a separation not much bigger than the diameter of our solar system. They are expected to collide and merge in less than a million years, triggering a titanic blast with the power of 100 million supernovae.
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Varrag

Varrag
titanic blast with the power of 100 million supernovae
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Err... I have little problem with this estimation as well. How did they come up with this number when: a) we don't really know what happens when two BHs merge; b) what kind of supernova explosion we're talking about? Their energy output is not constant... some explosions can be hundred times more energetic than others.
 

Elethiomel Zakalwe

E
"It is claimed that the distance between them has been estimated at around one million light years away – or the diameter of our solar system"

Someone needs to check their facts. Or learn the difference between light years and light seconds
 
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Yomamas Fett

Yomamas Fett
E=Asp Explorer;2843970]I wonder how such collisions actually happen though. If once inside an event horizon, all future paths lead to the singularity, what determines which singularity in merging black holes with merging (overlapping) event horizons?

If one black hole is massively bigger than the other, would that not mean a singularity and event horizon at some point completely in another event horizon? How could you have a speed limit on light in an area that is already beyond the first event horizon? My brain melts with all this lol.[/QUOTE]

Singularity, never singularities. It cannot be plural, any and all Black Holes are the same Singularity. Imagine a balloon that represents Singularity, we then cover it in wet tissue paper and tear tiny holes in the paper. These holes are our individual Black Holes, from our viewpoint each hole is an individual, but the holes are actually just windows on the balloon.

Nobody knows what would happen on collision, or if its even possible really.
 

Asp Explorer

Asp Explorer
But how do both singularities become one instantaneously when crossing each others event horizons? If a low mass black hole with an event horizon of, say 100Km, merged with a supermassive black hole of, say, 100,000Km - what happens to the lower mass singularity during it's transit from the event horizon to the central (larger) singularity? If they both have such severe gravitation that nothing can escape it's own event horizon, what information can be sent across both event horizons to indicate that anything has taken place to us as external viewers?

As I said - my brain just melts with all this stuff, and I'm no physicist :)
 

OnePercent

OnePercent
quickr said:
Would love to see it recreated in Elite :p
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The two black holes mentioned in these articles are around the same distance as the sun and the outer oort cloud aka extremely far apart, but the immense gravitational pull of both black holes cause them to orbit so fast they complete full orbits of each other in less than 5 years, which means they're travelling at a sizable portion of the speed of light.

The whole process of this collision will still take millions of years until both horizons touch. What slows them down are gravity waves which act like cosmic drag.
 
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[HJ]-RedRaven

[HJ]-RedRaven
dc83 said:
Simple, the event horizons merge. Neither goes away just because it's touching the other one. Seriously, as many black holes as there are around the universe, if they were really going to blow up like a hundred million supernovae, we'd have totally seen one by now! The fact that we haven't is a very strong indication in my mind that when black holes merge, it's more like 'Bloop' and two quietly become one
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We've only been observing the heavens properly for a few hundred years, and modern gamma-ray-astronomy much less than that.

Black hole mergers are predicted to be a rarity. The overwhelming majority of black holes are, disappointingly, very quiet. Quasars, active black holes munching on gas and dust are much more common than any actual merger would be.

Given the masses involved, any merger will be accompanied by a titanic release of energy. The final state of the merged black hole will always be less than the sum of the two individuals. The drop in energy is predicted to be given off in radiation, and gravitational waves. I recall simulations expecting the merger to be over in a fraction of a second. All mind-blowing stuff.
 

Crimson Kaim

Crimson Kaim
Don Alvarez said:
Notice astronomers always seem to try and one-up the other by finding the more destructive forces in the universe. WR 104, Death star galaxies, and now this. Two black holes colliding, the most destructive force in the universe! You know what also might happen? Nothing. They may happily merge together without a peep like two drops of water coalescing.
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This is interesting, but it's also a terrible article. Didn't realize our solar system was that large.
edit -- ninja'ed did just use the F word? In a science article thats not about procreation? Journalists these days....
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It is a science article, for the very beginners amongst us. I have dozens of books with physics and space stuff and obviiusly these have a different language. But I wouldn't say the article is bad because of the f word but rather because of the missing informations/details ane sciencific evidence. :)
 

Windsaw

W
Vasious said:
Wouldnt an explosion suggest that material/energy would be escaping the event horision?
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IIRC the energy being released does not originate from within the black holes.
If I understood it correctly it is the rotational energy of the individual holes that is being annihilated. Sorry, I can't describe it better, english is not my native language.

dc83 said:
Seriously, as many black holes as there are around the universe, if they were really going to blow up like a hundred million supernovae, we'd have totally seen one by now!
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We might already have. Or at least our sensors would.
In fact, what the article wrote is hardly new.
I first read about merging black holes before the first future candidates were found. Because a merger of black holes like this was one contender for an explanation of gamma ray bursts.
If a collision of such massive black holes occured, it would be extremely rare. Even if it only happened once a hundred years, it would be pure luck if we could see it. It may just register as another gamma ray burst.
 
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