black hole

[einsteinsdog]

Could the nucleus of an atom be considered to be a small black hole?

[Skids]

No.

[mimififi]

funny, skids, made me laugh out loud: Were you short of time?

[rojash]

I'll expand on Skids' answer:

No, and I can't imagine why you would think it could

[dannydingbat]

As far as I am aware, black holes are only a theory and no one has actually proved their existence yet. I presume the nucleus of an atom actually exists?

[mibn2cweus]

It has been speculated that an electron could possibly be a micro black hole but this does not seem to be the case. Search: electron micro black hole

[Loosehead]

No, a black hole is a singularity of infinite density and 0 size. They are created in 2 main ways, the most common is when a star is so large that when it dies enough material remains so that it will collapse under it's own gravity, ie the Nuclear force is overcome and matter is crushed out of existance.

[Clanad]

Actually, it's theorized that, beyond the event horizon, a black hole is infinite in volume. In fact, the radius of the event horizon increases concurrently with the mass of the black hole...

[jake-the-peg]

Black holes are a lot more than just a theory, the evidence is now pretty overwhelming in fact here's a picture:

http://www.damtp.cam.ac.uk/user/gr/public/bh_obsv.html

:c)

I saw that bit on Nasa's page about black holes having infinite volume as well but I'm not convince that the word "volume" actually has any real meaning inside the event horizon - bit like asking what was "before" the big bang if you ask me.

[JudgeJ]

I have to take issue with your description, loosehead. Whilst I understand it is theoretically possible for bodies to contract to the sort of singularity you describe, this ultimate extreme is by no means necessary for that body to become a Black Hole.

The critical feature of a Black Hole is that its escape velocity must be greater than c. If you do the maths I think it works out that an object with the mass of the Sun would be a Black Hole if it were about 4 miles or less in diameter, whilst the earth would need to be less than one inch across.

Super-densities such as this are thought to occur when stars of more than 1.3 Solar masses run out of fuel and gravity overwhelms the nuclear forces within the atoms, causing the star’s collapse.

The main reason I cannot see an atomic nucleus being a black hole (certainly among the elements we know about) is that the increasing density observed in collapsed stars comes about because the space between the nuclei and electrons is reduced by the effect of gravity. As far as I know there is very little space within an atomic nucleus and something quite different would have to happen to cause the necessary dramatic reduction in volume.

[Calvesy]

If every nucleus were a black hole this universe would have been a very brief phenomenon indeed. Light can escape from a nucleus, whether it's visible light or radio from electrons switching orbits or gamma rays or alpha particles from a decaying radioisotope nucleus. No matter or energy could escape from a black hole.

[einsteinsdog]

Black holes are a definite reality . Pick up any current astronomy magazine and theres bits about them (usually). They are invisible but their effects are seen as stars emit x rays when they fall into them, and these have been photographed. Our galaxy is thought to have a BH at the centre but its billions af miles away

[mibn2cweus]

Maybe the big bang was just a really big black hole that got so dang full of galaxies and stuff that it could no longer contain itself and KABLUWIE the universe!

Stick that in your pipe and smoke it!

[chimp_86_86]

no is the answer a singularity is a small black hole and it can be creatid in a partical exselirator but if we creatid one it would go 2 the center of the earth inplode the earth til nothings left it would only take a cuppel of seconds you create one by using hevey ions plz send me a message bk my email is [email protected]