How do charged black holes acquire their charge?
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ETpro (
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July 10th, 2013
Black holes have three externally measurable properties, mass, angular momentum and charge. It’s clear how, when a massive star runs out of fuel and begins gravitational collapse, it retains the remaining mass and angular momentum of the parent star. But stars, being part of this Universe where symmetry seems to be a foundational rule, are essentially neutrally charged, in that they contain roughly the same number of positively, negatively, and neutrally charged particles. In such a symmetrical universe, how do charged black holes come into existence? From where do they acquire their charge?
This question continues the Black Hole Series. Previous entries included:
1 — “Can a black hole overeat?”
2 — “How big is your average black hole?”
3 — “What happens when a black hole evaporates?”
4 — “Would an ordinary black hole attract antimatter?”
5 — “Could you kill an ordinary black hole by feeding it antimatter?”
6 — “What is the morphology of a black hole?”
Also, @mattbrowne asked What exactly happens when a (hypothetical) antimatter black hole merges with a ‘normal’ black hole? shortly before I arrived here. That excellent question deserves to be part of the series. Feel free to add any other notable black hole questions from whatever date.
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5 Answers
Cosmic rays consist of ions and electrons permeating space. It is extremely unlikely that black holes suck in the exact same amount of positively charged ions and electrons.
@mattbrowne Humm, so you’re suggesting that it relates to what there is to forage on in their local area after they form. Makes sense. Thanks.
Perhaps cosmic censorship deprives you of the answers that you seek? I do feel your pain as you restlessly dare to ask such questions. You demand to know every aspect of black holes. You search for answers and are likely never satisfied with any result. And you suffer from not knowing the secrets. I commend and console you in yours search though the dynamic and infinite immensity of black holes, the magic of which you will likely never know. Or it may all come clear some day as you search the horizon of your dreams where the air is pure and sweet and willed with truth.
@gondwanalon Oh, I will go into one some day. The laws of thermodynamics assure me of that.
A charged black hole is a black hole that possesses electric charge.
Since the electromagnetic repulsion in compressing an electrically charged
mass is dramatically greater than the gravitational attraction
it is not expected that black holes with a significant electric charge will be formed in nature.
A charged black hole is one of three possible types of black holes that could exist in Einstein’s theory of gravitation, general relativity
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