Black Holes May Not Grow Beyond Certain Limit

xyz writes "Do black holes increase in size indefinitely? According to an analysis by astronomers at Yale and the European Southern Observatory, the maximum size a black hole may reach is only few tens of billion of solar masses. The limit was calculated using an analysis of what may happen to the gas surrounding a black hole which has reached few tens of billions of solar masses. It is thought that black holes of such size heat the surrounding gas to a temperature where the radiation pressure begins blowing outer layers into space."

Comments

Re:Interesting repercussions

[Zenaku]

I'm not an astrophysicist either, but as far as I can tell nothing about this hypothesis contradicts the idea that once matter crosses the event horizon it doesn't come out again, except as radiation. They aren't saying that the black hole begins "ejecting" gas, just that at that mass it gives off enough radiation to prevent any more gas from falling in.

I'm not sure I buy that as setting an upper limit on the size of a black hole. It just means the rate of growth would slow, and potentially reach equilibrium with regards to the surrounding gas. If something denser, like a star were to fall in, I doubt that the radiation pressure would push it away.

But who knows. I don't.

Re:Interesting repercussions

[Mr. McGibby]

Side note: makes much more sense then the big bang theory, which reeks of creationism.

So, instead of using rational thought and evidence to decide what theory is correct, you're going to use your "gut" feeling to make the determination? Sounds a little like what the relgionists, that you're so quick to deride, like to do.

Re:Interesting repercussions

[sexconker]

Don't feel bad, the physics is way beyond the string theorists, so they just make up the math as they go along.

Re:Agreed, Very Interesting repercussions

[mcgrew]

All I could think of was that I really wish they called micro black holes that exist for minute fractions of a second something other than "black holes."

Microscopic singularities. Of course, the press wouldn't eat that up; newspapers don't exist to educate the public, they exist to generate revenue.

Re:Interesting repercussions

[Mr. McGibby]

OK, read again. You still sound foolish.

Doesn't sound like an afterthought. Sounds like the whole point.