The start ... or the end ...

Image credit: National Geographic, Shanghai Astronomical Observatory

Up to date, our group has been researching about our topic: can black holes be a source of energy? Most of the information I gathered is about theoretical methods on how to harness the energy radiation and a quantitative value of the energy released from black holes.

From my research, I have learned that there are two theories on how to collect the Hawking radiation from black holes dated 1983 and 1994. The first theory, a box and rope method works similarly to a bucket getting water from a well. A strong enough rope and winding mechanism is required to prevent the box from being swallowed by the black hole. The second theory, ‘dip strings’, works similarly to how oil runs up the wick of an oil lamp. Drawing diagrams of the theories helped a lot with the understanding of how they work. I think creating models for these theories would allow for a more interactive and visual representation – which could be the practical component of the project! I will be researching to see if there are any other theories for collecting energy from black holes.

It is interesting to note that the conventional belief of a little energy gain from particle input into a black hole has been proven to be false through theoretical experiments. The possibility of an energy gain 10 times greater is the result from the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. I am a bit skeptical about the validity of these facts and its reflection of reality since the results came from a computer program, not data from space. Further research and new discoveries to support the results would be beneficial. If the yield of energy proves to be little, should the project continue to pursue the possibility?

#Catherine