New entropy-based model builds on Hawking's theory of radiation
Black holes just got a science upgrade.
Building on Stephen Hawking's classic 1970s theory, researchers have created a new model that makes it easier to understand how black holes give off energy (Hawking radiation) by linking it to things like spin and energy through entropy, a measure of disorder.
Abhay Ashtekar applies dynamical horizons
This fresh approach lets scientists predict what black holes do when they're forming, crashing together, or even evaporating, something the old theory struggled with.
Led by Abhay Ashtekar at Penn State, the team adopted "dynamical horizons," which means we can now apply the laws of thermodynamics to black holes even when they're changing fast.
This breakthrough solves problems that have puzzled scientists for 50 years and opens up exciting new research possibilities in astrophysics.