HW #_10-Black-Hole Journey_Dec 10th

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HW # 10 AST 110 Christina Caruso 1. Take a journey (yourself) into a Black-Hole and describe it. Please imagine yourself in this journey and describe it using your own words. (One page with CITATIONS) A black hole is a celestial object characterized by a powerful gravitational pull that prevents any matter, including light, from escaping. This enigmatic entity is formed by the collapse of massive stars, where the core becomes unstable and collapses inward due to gravity while the outer layers are blown away. The weight of matter falling in from all directions crushes the dying star, causing it to shrink to zero volume and attain infinite density, known as the singularity. Notably, the General Relativity principles proposed by Einstein form the basis of my current understanding of black holes. At the center of the Milky Way, approximately 26,000 light-years from Earth, lies the supermassive black hole named " Sagittarius A ," which is roughly four million times the sun's mass, as per NASA's estimates. However, due to the extreme conditions within these cosmic objects, black holes remain a subject of speculation. To illustrate the effects of the formidable gravitational forces near a black hole's event horizon, let us assume that I am equipped with a hypothetical spacecraft designed to withstand these conditions. As I approach the black hole, its gravitational pull intensifies and warps the space-time continuum around me, as per Einstein's theory of General Relativity. The gravitational force exerted by a black hole is so immense that it can bend the trajectory of light, causing it to follow a curved path. This distortion of spacetime is so significant that it can have a profound effect on time. This effect is known as time dilation, which occurs due to the difference in the gravitational pull between two locations. Theories proposed by physicists and astrophysicists might suggest that when I approach the black hole, I would not be seen falling into it. This is all due to time being at a standstill at the event horizon; the closer I get to the event horizon, the more pronounced the time dilation becomes, creating a relativistic time warp from an observer's perspective at a safe distance. As I approach the black hole's event horizon, the immense gravitational field causes a phenomenon known as gravitational time dilation. The gravitational forces cause tidal stretching, also known as spaghettification. This effect is caused by varying gravitational pulls experienced across my spacecraft due to the steep gradient in gravitational force over the object's length. Although my spacecraft

is made of advanced materials that prevent it from being torn apart, I can still sense the elongation as my ship inches toward the singularity. If I were unable to use a spacecraft to enter a black hole, I would be subjected to a frightening and dreadful experience known as "spaghettification." This term describes how the massive gravitational force of the black hole would stretch and shred every part of my body, from my bones to my muscles, sinews, and molecules. Eventually, my body would twist and contort into slender, elongated strands resembling spaghetti before being devoured by the black hole's singularity. Stephen Hawking elaborates on this phenomenon in his book "A Brief History of Time," painting a vivid and haunting picture of the fate that awaits those who dare to venture too close to a black hole without proper precautions. I'll experience a strange phenomenon called lensing, which is a consequence of general relativity. It warps the fabric of space-time and produces mesmerizing visual effects. As a result, distant objects behind me might appear stretched and distorted, forming a captivating cosmic kaleidoscope. The extreme gravity of a black hole causes the light to shift to higher frequencies, and due to time dilation, the outside universe appears to be moving faster. When I enter a black hole, I'll be surrounded by the light from the surrounding universe, which will fall in with me and continue to fall in after me. The gravitational pull is so strong that even light cannot escape, hence the name "black hole." The singularity marks a point in space where the laws of physics as we know them cease to apply. As I approach the singularity, I will have a brief opportunity to glimpse the mysteries of the black hole, with the duration of my experience determined by the mass of the black hole. While smaller black holes offer only a fleeting encounter, the more massive ones allow for a few heartbeats to contemplate this enigmatic corner of the universe. Throughout my journey, time dilation will make the outside universe appear to move more quickly. Eventually, I will reach the singularity, where matter and energy are compressed into an infinitely small point, and the known laws of physics no longer hold. As I near this point of infinite density and gravitational curvature, classical physics breaks down. Crossing the event horizon is a one- way journey, with no possibility of turning back and an indefinite journey ahead.

" Sagittarius A " Black Hole on Milky Way Galaxy (Sgr A* Picture with Event Horizon Telescope) May 2022

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Works Cited Akiyama, Kazunori, et al. “First Sagittarius a* Event Horizon Telescope Results. I. the Shadow of the Supermassive Black Hole in the Center of the Milky Way.” The Astrophysical Journal , vol. 930, no. 2, May 2022, p. L12. https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ac6674. Charles Day; The future of meetings. Physics Today 1 February 2021; 74 (2): 8. https://doi.org/10.1063/PT.3.4665 Cosmos, Dark. “Kepler’s Laws and Black Holes.” Dark Cosmos , darkcosmos.com/home/f/keplers-laws. Einstein, Albert. “The Foundation of the General Theory of Relativity.” Annalen Der Physik , vol. 14, no. 7, Jan. 1916, pp. 769–822. inspirehep.net/record/4180/export/hlxu. Einstein, Albert, and Nathan Rosen. “The Particle Problem in the General Theory of Relativity.” Physical Review , vol. 48, no. 1, July 1935, pp. 73–77. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrev.48.73. Hawking, S. W., and Thomas Hertog. “A Smooth Exit From Eternal Inflation?” Journal of High Energy Physics , vol. 2018, no. 4, Apr. 2018, https://doi.org/10.1007/jhep04(2018)147. Levin, Janna. Black Hole Survival Guide . Arrow, 2022. Temming, Maria. “How Is Time Changed Inside a Black Hole?” Sky & Telescope , 20 Apr. 2020, skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-resources/time-changed-inside-a-black-hole/ #google_vignette. “The Black Hole War: My Battle with Stephen Hawking to Make the World Safe for Quantum Mechanics.” Choice Reviews Online , vol. 46, no. 05, Jan. 2009, pp. 46– 2732. https://doi.org/10.5860/choice.46-2732.

HW #_10-Black-Hole Journey_Dec 10th

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