Latest news with #JournalofCosmologyandAstroparticlePhysics
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
The Universe May End Sooner Than Scientists Thought
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: Despite its spectacular birth, the universe will mostly likely eventually fade into nothingness with very little drama. Black holes, as far as we know, will evaporate through Hawking radiation, with one of two identical, quantum-entangled particles floating into space and the other staying behind. Other objects will evaporate in a process similar to Hawking radiation, with the densest disappearing the fastest. While the universe might have started with a bang, it probably won't go out with one. But however it comes about, that end might be much sooner than we thought. If you ask astrophysicist Heino Falcke, quantum physicist Michael Wondrak, and mathematician Walter van Suijlekom, they'll tell you that those last days will not erupt into a cataclysmic explosion worthy of sci-fi special effects. Instead, the last remaining vestiges of all matter will just evaporate into particles floating in the void. In 2023, the trio theorized that it was possible for other objects besides black holes to slowly evaporate away via Hawking radiation, which aroused curiosity as to how soon it could possibly happen. Now, there is a hypothetical answer. But don't start doomsday prepping yet—Earth still has about 5 billion years left until it gets devoured by the Sun. So, according to the team, if our species manages to propagate beyond the Solar System and colonize some distant moon or planet, there are still another ~1078 years left for the universe. That's 1 with 78 zeroes after it. Even Twinkies won't last that long. It might seem unfathomable, but that mind-boggling max age for the universe is far lower than the previously predicted 101100 years (which is 1 with 1100 zeroes). While this prior hypothesis did include the time it would take for black holes to evaporate, it did not factor in the evaporation of other objects. 'Using gravitational curvature radiation, we find that also neutron stars and white dwarfs decay in a finite time in the presence of gravitational pair production,' the researchers said in a study recently published in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics. When a pair of particles forms right on the lip of a black hole's gaping maw, one can be pulled in past the inescapable event horizon, while the other escapes into nearby space. Because those particles are supposedly quantum-entangled, that rogue particle could be carrying information about the insides of a black hole (until the Hawking Information Paradox kicks in, of course). This called Hawking radiation. It has long been thought that only black holes emitted Hawking radiation, but in their new study, these researchers posit that a similar phenomenon could affect other ultradense objects without event horizons, such as white dwarf stars (star corpses left when the gases of a red giant dissipate) and neutron stars. Everything with mass has gravity that warps spacetime. The more dense an object, the greater the warp, but less massive objects still have some effect on the space-time continuum. Objects with strong gravitational fields evaporate faster—white dwarves, supermassive black holes, and dark matter supercluster haloes are expected to hold out for 1078 years, while neutron stars and stellar-mass black holes should hang around for about 1067 years. Anything with a gravitational field is prone to evaporating. (This includes humans, and could put a glitch in our quest for immortality. It should take 1090 years for our bodies to vanish.) Even though the intense gravitational fields of black holes should cause them to evaporate faster, they put off total annihilation as long as possible because, unlike white dwarves or neutron stars, they have no surface and tend to reabsorb some escaped particles. 'In the absence of an event horizon, there is pair production outside the object which leads to particles hitting the surface and also pair production inside the object,' the researchers said. 'We assume those particles to be absorbed by the object and to increase and redistribute internal energy. Both components will lead to a surface emission, which is absent in black holes.' So, in enough years to cover 78 zeroes, all that will be left of black holes—and everything else in the universe—are particles and radiation. You (assuming immortality) and whatever you bought in bulk for doomsday will also evaporate. no matter when it comes, there really is no escape from the end. You Might Also Like Can Apple Cider Vinegar Lead to Weight Loss? Bobbi Brown Shares Her Top Face-Transforming Makeup Tips for Women Over 50
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
New research says our universe only has a quinvigintillion years left, so make ‘em good ones
The universe, everything in space and time, has a shorter life expectancy than previously thought. Previously believed to die at an estimated 10 to the power of 1,100 years, the universe is now believed to die at an estimated 10 to the power of 78 years, according to a new study from Radboud University, published in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics on Monday. For context, that's 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 — or 1 quinvigintillion — years from now. 'The final end of the universe is coming much sooner than expected, but fortunately it still takes a very long time,' lead author of the study, Heino Falcke, professor of astrophysics at Radboud University in the Netherlands, told CBS News. Researchers looked closely at when white dwarf stars — when a star dies, creates a nebula and leaves behind its hot core — die, according to the study. They also looked at when larger stars die, causing a supernova and leaving behind small, dense cores that collapse on themselves and become black holes. The authors followed a principle of general relativity called Hawking radiation, named after famed astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, to determine when white dwarf stars could inevitably disintegrate. In roughly 1 quinvigintillion years, these white dwarf stars should decay at a point when no other matter from other galaxies exists in the universe. Well before that point, in 17 trillion years, most of the stars in the known universe will be extinguished before being reduced to white dwarf stars, Falcke told Live Science. The solar system's sun is expected to die much sooner than the rest of the universe, according to NASA. Five billion years from now, the sun's expected to become a red giant when it expels all of its hydrogen and increase in size, gobbling up the planets in the inner solar system, including Earth. The sun could then collapse on itself after another billion years and become a white dwarf. Video: Erupting volcanoes cause 'dancing' light show in space Massive solar flare erupts, causing radio blackouts across Earth Where will failed '70s Soviet probe land after it crashes back to Earth? Nobody knows Sorry, Pluto: The solar system could have a 9th planet after all, astronomers say Failed '70s-era Soviet spacecraft bound for Venus could soon crash back to Earth Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Oops, Scientists May Have Miscalculated How Much Time the Universe Has Left
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: Despite its spectacular birth, the universe will mostly likely eventually fade into nothingness with very little drama. Black holes, as far as we know, will evaporate through Hawking radiation, with one of two identical, quantum-entangled particles floating into space and the other staying behind. Other objects will evaporate in a process similar to Hawking radiation, with the densest disappearing the fastest. While the universe might have started with a bang, it probably won't go out with one. But however it comes about, that end might be much sooner than we thought. If you ask astrophysicist Heino Falcke, quantum physicist Michael Wondrak, and mathematician Walter van Suijlekom, they'll tell you that those last days will not erupt into a cataclysmic explosion worthy of sci-fi special effects. Instead, the last remaining vestiges of all matter will just evaporate into particles floating in the void. In 2023, the trio theorized that it was possible for other objects besides black holes to slowly evaporate away via Hawking radiation, which aroused curiosity as to how soon it could possibly happen. Now, there is a hypothetical answer. But don't start doomsday prepping yet—Earth still has about 5 billion years left until it gets devoured by the Sun. So, according to the team, if our species manages to propagate beyond the Solar System and colonize some distant moon or planet, there are still another ~1078 years left for the universe. That's 1 with 78 zeroes after it. Even Twinkies won't last that long. It might seem unfathomable, but that mind-boggling max age for the universe is far lower than the previously predicted 101100 years (which is 1 with 1100 zeroes). While this prior hypothesis did include the time it would take for black holes to evaporate, it did not factor in the evaporation of other objects. 'Using gravitational curvature radiation, we find that also neutron stars and white dwarfs decay in a finite time in the presence of gravitational pair production,' the researchers said in a study recently published in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics. When a pair of particles forms right on the lip of a black hole's gaping maw, one can be pulled in past the inescapable event horizon, while the other escapes into nearby space. Because those particles are supposedly quantum-entangled, that rogue particle could be carrying information about the insides of a black hole (until the Hawking Information Paradox kicks in, of course). This called Hawking radiation. It has long been thought that only black holes emitted Hawking radiation, but in their new study, these researchers posit that a similar phenomenon could affect other ultradense objects without event horizons, such as white dwarf stars (star corpses left when the gases of a red giant dissipate) and neutron stars. Everything with mass has gravity that warps spacetime. The more dense an object, the greater the warp, but less massive objects still have some effect on the space-time continuum. Objects with strong gravitational fields evaporate faster—white dwarves, supermassive black holes, and dark matter supercluster haloes are expected to hold out for 1078 years, while neutron stars and stellar-mass black holes should hang around for about 1067 years. Anything with a gravitational field is prone to evaporating. (This includes humans, and could put a glitch in our quest for immortality. It should take 1090 years for our bodies to vanish.) Even though the intense gravitational fields of black holes should cause them to evaporate faster, they put off total annihilation as long as possible because, unlike white dwarves or neutron stars, they have no surface and tend to reabsorb some escaped particles. 'In the absence of an event horizon, there is pair production outside the object which leads to particles hitting the surface and also pair production inside the object,' the researchers said. 'We assume those particles to be absorbed by the object and to increase and redistribute internal energy. Both components will lead to a surface emission, which is absent in black holes.' So, in enough years to cover 78 zeroes, all that will be left of black holes—and everything else in the universe—are particles and radiation. You (assuming immortality) and whatever you bought in bulk for doomsday will also evaporate. no matter when it comes, there really is no escape from the end. You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Scientific American
16-05-2025
- Science
- Scientific American
The Universe May End Sooner Than Scientists Had Expected
As the story of our cosmos moves forward, stars will slowly burn out, planets will freeze over, and black holes will devour light itself. Eventually, on timescales so long humanity will never witness them, the universe will fade into darkness. But if you've ever wondered exactly when it all might end, you may find it oddly comforting, or perhaps a bit unsettling, to know that someone has actually done the math. As it turns out, this cosmic finale might arrive sooner than scientists previously thought. Don't worry, though — "sooner" still means a mind-bending 10 to the power of 78 years from now. That is a 1 followed by 78 zeros, which is unimaginably far into the future. However, in cosmic terms, this estimate is a dramatic advancement from the previous prediction of 10 to the power of 1,100 years, made by Falcke and his team in 2023. On supporting science journalism If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. "The ultimate end of the universe comes much sooner than expected, but fortunately it still takes a very long time," Heino Falcke, a theoretical astrophysicist at the Radboud University in the Netherlands, who led the new study, said in a statement. The team's new calculations focus on predicting when the universe's most enduring celestial objects — the glowing remnants of dead stars such as white dwarfs and neutron stars — will ultimately fade away. This gradual decay is driven by Hawking radiation, a concept proposed by physicist Stephen Hawking in the 1970s. The theory suggests a peculiar process occurs near the event horizon — the point of no return — around black holes. Normally, virtual pairs of particles are constantly created by what are known as quantum fluctuations. These particle pairs pop in and out of existence, rapidly annihilating each other. Near a black hole's event horizon, however, the intense gravitational field prevents such annihilation. Instead, the pair is separated: one particle, one carrying negative energy, falls into the black hole, reducing its mass, while the other escapes into space. Over incredibly long timescales, Hawking's theory suggests this process causes the black hole to slowly evaporate, eventually vanishing. Falcke and his team extended this idea beyond black holes to other compact objects with strong gravitational fields. They found that the "evaporation time" of other objects emitting Hawking radiation depends solely on their densities. This is because unlike black hole evaporation, which is driven by the presence of an event horizon, this more general form of decay is driven by the curvature of spacetime itself. The team's new findings, described in a paper published Monday (May 12) in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics on Monday (May 12), offer a new estimate for how long it takes white dwarf stars to dissolve into nothingness. Surprisingly, the team found that neutron stars and stellar-mass black holes decay over the same timescale: about 10 to the power of 67 years. This was unexpected, as black holes have stronger gravitational fields and were thought to evaporate faster. "But black holes have no surface," Michael Wondrak, a postdoctoral researcher of astrophysics at Radboud University and a co-author of the study, said in the statement. "They reabsorb some of their own radiation, which inhibits the process." If even white dwarf stars and black holes eventually dissolve into nothing, what does that say about us? Perhaps it suggests meaning isn't found in permanence, but in the fleeting brilliance of asking questions like these — while the stars are still shining.
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
You won't believe this! Scientists say this is the exact day the universe will end
Some scientists from Radboud University in the Netherlands have found out when the universe will come to an end. The universe will die in one quinvigintillion years which means number 1 followed by 78 zeroes. This is much earlier than what scientists said before, which was 1 followed by 1,100 zeroes, an unbelievably huge number. The universe will die because of a process called Hawking radiation which means, black holes slowly lose energy by releasing small particles. Over a very long time, they shrink and then disappear. Earlier, scientists thought only black holes could do this. But now researchers found that neutron stars and white dwarfs can also evaporate in a similar way. These are the final stages in the life of a star. Neutron stars are left behind after big stars explode in a supernova. White dwarfs are made from smaller stars like our sun after they use up all their energy. These stars are called 'dead stars,' but they stay around for a very long time. Over time, they become unstable, break apart, and vanish. Continue to video 5 5 Next Stay Playback speed 1x Normal Back 0.25x 0.5x 1x Normal 1.5x 2x 5 5 / Skip Ads by Why Does This Matter? Neutron stars and white dwarfs are the last stars left, so by knowing when they disappear, we can guess when the universe will end. Earlier studies did not include Hawking radiation. Because of that, they overestimated how long the universe would survive. Live Events Heino Falcke, a professor at Radboud University, is the lead scientist. He and his team used Hawking's idea to make new calculations. They found that all objects with gravity like stars can lose energy and evaporate, not just black holes. The idea was given by Stephen Hawking in 1975. He explained that tiny particles appear near the edge of a black hole, one falls in, and the other gets away. The escaped particles are called Hawking radiation. As more of these escape, the black hole shrinks. This goes against what Albert Einstein said he believed black holes can only get bigger. The team had a study in 2023 in a science journal called Physical Review Letters. Their new research uses the same ideas and has been accepted for another journal, Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics. Right now, the paper is also available on arXiv, a website for new science papers. There is no need to worry. Even though the universe might end earlier than we thought, it will still take a really, really long time. Humans and even Earth will be gone long before the universe dies. It helps scientists understand Hawking's theory better. It shows that Hawking radiation might happen with many space objects, not just black holes. It also gives scientists a new way to study the life and death of stars and the universe itself. Co-author Walter van Suijlekom said, 'By asking such big questions, we hope to solve the mystery of Hawking radiation one day.' FAQs Q1. What is Hawking radiation? A1. It is when black holes or stars slowly lose energy and shrink over time. Q2. Will the universe end soon? A2. No, it will end in a very, very long time, one followed by 78 zeros.
