Thread: Can two singularities meet?

If space/time can be warped by gravity, and enough gravity creates a black hole/gravity well, could the singularities at the bottom of these two gravity wells come in contact with each other? If so, what would happen? Depending on mass, would a larger one over take the smaller and does this create a white hole?

Originally Posted by WyldeDime78

If space/time can be warped by gravity, and enough gravity creates a black hole/gravity well, could the singularities at the bottom of these two gravity wells come in contact with each other? If so, what would happen? Depending on mass, would a larger one over take the smaller and does this create a white hole?

Gravity doesn't create a black hole.
Mass that has been compressed to the point in which the inverse square law demonstrates an Extremely short distance from the surface of a very massive object to its center of gravity is a black hole with the gravity as one of its properties.

In order for this to happen, you would need to have a supermassive object (Larger than Earths Sun) implode upon itself and collapse under its own weight. This happens when the star has exhausted its fuel with nuclear fusion and the outward force created by the fusion reaction within the star is no longer strong enough to support the structure of the star against its own weight (or gravity).
A singularity is a mathematical construct to describe the mass at the center of the black hole.
There's only one singularity. That's why it's called a singularity and not a doublearity. Or a multiarity. Orgyarity? Whatever.

If two black holes should come close enough to eachother to collide or merge, then yes, you will end up with one singularity as an outcome. They would absolutely meet eachother. Violently so. But no one outside could ever see that violence as it would all be contained within the black hole.

There would be some observational physical effects, though. Prior to one objects collapse into the black hole, we would see a release of energy (How massive a release depends on how massive the object that merges with the black hole.) But once that suckers in the black hole- it's Gone Forever. Can't hear it scream.

Black hole mergers are possible, and it is expected that such events are sources of gravitational waves.

The gravitational wave observatories that are in operation are actively searching for mergers.

Originally Posted by Neverfly

...
If two black holes should come close enough to eachother to collide or merge, then yes, you will end up with one singularity as an outcome. They would absolutely meet eachother. Violently so. But no one outside could ever see that violence as it would all be contained within the black hole....

This is a correct statement. However a black hole in this case is not a singularity but an event horizon - an extended object (although likely very dense). If two singularities are to meet, then they must be aimed at each other with infinite precision or they will merely scatter off each other. That seems infinitely improbable to me.

Originally Posted by RayTomes

This is a correct statement. However a black hole in this case is not a singularity but an event horizon - an extended object (although likely very dense). If two singularities are to meet, then they must be aimed at each other with infinite precision or they will merely scatter off each other. That seems infinitely improbable to me.

Given:

1. A black hole's singularity is at its precise center.

2. When two black holes meet, the event horizons extend towards one another like outstretched tendrils, then WHABUMP! The two become one black hole.

Then:

1. Since it's now one black hole (not two), it's single singularity is at its precise center.

Do you agree? Disagree? If so, why?

Mugs, In what you say the singularity is only a mathematical description, not an observable fact. But I agree that two BHs can join and that there would be some wobbling about for some time.

Originally Posted by RayTomes

Mugs, In what you say the singularity is only a mathematical description, not an observable fact. But I agree that two BHs can join and that there would be some wobbling about for some time.

"Wobbling about" as in what a water balloon in zero-G would do if you rapped it requires a distributed mass. A black hole's singularity, however, contains all a black hole's mass. Thus, when two black holes become one, it happens very rapidly.

The question remains whether or not the singularities merge right away or if they orbit one another for a time, until frame dragging pulls them together?

Originally Posted by mugaliens

"Wobbling about" as in what a water balloon in zero-G would do if you rapped it requires a distributed mass. A black hole's singularity, however, contains all a black hole's mass. Thus, when two black holes become one, it happens very rapidly.

The question remains whether or not the singularities merge right away or if they orbit one another for a time, until frame dragging pulls them together?

The world expert on BH motion is a New Zealander. He worked out the solutions for rotating BHs. BHs do have properties depending on motion inside them.

When I collected known BH masses from a list and analyzed the event horizon radii of them using Kotov's method (looking for common factors or multiples) it showed that 82 minutes, 164 minutes and 250 minutes were common factors/multiples. These same periods show up in our solar system in relation to outer planet distances, rotation periods of the planets, and orbital periods of objects just above the planet surfaces. Something is going on! That something is that throughout the Universe 80, 160 minute and related period waves are flowing.

Originally Posted by RayTomes

The world expert on BH motion is a New Zealander. He worked out the solutions for rotating BHs. BHs do have properties depending on motion inside them.

When I collected known BH masses from a list and analyzed the event horizon radii of them using Kotov's method (looking for common factors or multiples) it showed that 82 minutes, 164 minutes and 250 minutes were common factors/multiples. These same periods show up in our solar system in relation to outer planet distances, rotation periods of the planets, and orbital periods of objects just above the planet surfaces. Something is going on!

Have any inkling as to what?

That something is that throughout the Universe 80, 160 minute and related period waves are flowing.

Is it 80/160, or 82/164? Regardless, integer multiples would not seem to be cause for interest provided the higher frequency is the primary. 82x3=246, approx equal to 250, so perhaps that's an integer multiple as well? I'm far more interested in fraction multiples, like 2/3 or 3/2.

Hi Mugaliens

Sometimes I get figures like 83, 165, 250 minutes, other times 160.0 minutes. Kotov gives figures of 160.01 minutes for solar oscillation and near to that for binary star base for harmonics.

Regards
Ray