Dark-energy star

Adark-energy staris a hypothetical compactastrophysicalobject, which a minority of physicists think might constitute an alternative explanation for observations of astronomicalblack holecandidates.

The concept was proposed byphysicistGeorge Chapline.The theory states that infalling matter is converted intovacuum energyordark energy,as the matter falls through theevent horizon.The space within the event horizon would end up with a large value for thecosmological constantand have negative pressure to exert againstgravity.There would be no information-destroyingsingularity.

Theory

In March 2005,physicistGeorge Chaplineclaimed thatquantum mechanicsmakes it a "near certainty" thatblack holesdo not exist and are instead dark-energy stars. The dark-energy star is a different concept from that of agravastar.

Dark-energy stars were first proposed because inquantum physics,absolute timeis required; however, ingeneral relativity,an object falling towards a black hole would, to an outside observer, seem to have time pass infinitely slowly at theevent horizon.The object itself would feel as if time flowed normally.

In order to reconcilequantum mechanicswith black holes, Chapline theorized that aphase transitionin the phase of space occurs at the event horizon. He based his ideas on the physics ofsuperfluids.As a column of superfluid grows taller, at some point,densityincreases, slowing down thespeed of sound,so that it approaches zero. However, at that point, quantum physics makessound wavesdissipate their energy into the superfluid, so that the zero sound speed condition is never encountered.

In the dark-energy star hypothesis, infalling matter approaching the event horizon decays into successively lighter particles. Nearing the event horizon, environmental effects accelerateproton decay.This may account for high-energy cosmic-ray sources andpositronsources in the sky. When the matter falls through the event horizon, the energy equivalent of some or all of that matter is converted intodark energy.Thisnegative pressurecounteracts the mass the star gains, avoiding a singularity. The negative pressure also gives a very high number for thecosmological constant.

Furthermore, 'primordial' dark-energy stars could form by fluctuations ofspacetimeitself, which is analogous to "blobs of liquid condensing spontaneously out of a cooling gas". This not only alters the understanding of black holes, but has the potential to explain thedark energyanddark matterthat are indirectly observed.

See also

• Black star (semiclassical gravity)
• Dark energy
• Dark matter
• Gravastar
• Stellar black hole

Sources

• Chapline, George (2005). "Dark Energy Stars".Proceedings of the Texas Symposium on Relativistic Astrophysics:101.arXiv:astro-ph/0503200.Bibcode:2005tsra.conf..101C.
• Barbieri, J.; Chapline, G. ″ (2004)."Have Nucleon Decays Already Been Seen?".Physics Letters B.590(1–2): 8–12.Bibcode:2004PhLB..590....8B.doi:10.1016/j.physletb.2004.03.054.
• Chapline, George; Hohlfeld, E.; Laughlin, R. B.; Santiago, D. I. (2003). "Quantum Phase Transitions and the Failure of Classical General Relativity".International Journal of Modern Physics A.18(21): 3587–3590.arXiv:gr-qc/0012094.Bibcode:2003IJMPA..18.3587C.doi:10.1142/S0217751X03016380.S2CID119456781.

External links

• MPIE Galactic Center Research
• George Chapline (28 March 2005)."Black holes 'do not exist'".Nature News.(subscription only)