Wormhole VS Black Hole: Two Mysteries Of The Universe That Could Absorb You

15th Oct 2024
Wormhole VS Black Hole: Two Mysteries Of The Universe That Could Absorb You

Anyone passionate about space will be familiar with these terms. Wormholes and black holes are two of the most mysterious phenomena in the Universe that can absorb not only our attention but also ourselves. In our previous articles, we have already detailed the topic of black hole and wormhole separately, and today we will combine them together to reveal the winner. So, make yourself comfortable — a heated wormhole vs black hole confrontation awaits you.

Wormhole VS Black Hole: What Are They?

two merging black holes
An artist’s conception shows two merging black holes similar to those detected by LIGO. Credit: Aurore Simonnet/LIGO-Caltech-MIT-Sonoma State

Black holes have a richer history of research, so we’ll start with them. Astrophysics states that such a hole is a region in space and time, where the gravitational pull is so strong that nothing, not even objects moving at the speed of light, can escape it. It is formed when a massive star collapses under its gravity at the end of its life cycle. This is why the object is also called collapsar (from collapsed star).

The boundary of a collapsar is known as the Event Horizon; at its centre, is a point of singularity where matter is compressed to an infinitesimal volume, while density and gravitational attraction become infinitely large. At this point, the laws of classical physics cease to apply, and it is believed that the laws of quantum gravity, which have not yet been developed, are necessary to fully describe the singularity.

The earliest observations of objects now known as black holes began in the 1960s, when astronomers discovered X-ray sources that they interpreted as possible collapsars. However, their real existence was only confirmed in 2019, when the Event Horizon Telescope photographed a supermassive collapsar in the centre of the M87 galaxy.

Are Wormholes The Same As Black Holes?

wormhole schema 
A wormhole connects two points in spacetime. Credit: Kiyoshi Takahase Segundo/Alamy

According to solutions to the equations of Einstein’s general theory of relativity, a wormhole or warp hole results from the curvature of space and time and has an extreme gravitational effect, but this is where the similarities between black holes and wormholes end. If the former suck everything into themselves, then the latter allow the matter to pass through, representing hypothetical tunnels through the space-time continuum that connect two distant points of the Universe or different points in parallel universes.

Simply put, black holes are “vacuum cleaners” for matter and energy, from which there is no exit, and wormholes are bridges for travelling through space and time, with exotic matter that creates gravitational repulsion so that the “tunnel” does not collapse. That is the main difference between a black hole and a wormhole.

Thus, although both collapsars and wormholes involve strong gravitational effects and are related to space and time, they are fundamentally different in structure and function. However, if the former are well-known objects in astrophysics, the latter still remain theoretical, and their existence has not been confirmed.

Black Hole VS White Hole VS Wormhole: Can They Co-Exist?

Any antagonist must have a protagonist, and space is no exception. Astrophysicists believe that there are objects in the Universe that are the exact opposite of black holes — white holes. They spew out matter and energy and do not allow anything to enter inside them. Like wormholes, white holes are purely hypothetical areas in the Universe whose existence has not been proven. However, theoretically, according to the same solutions to the equations of Einstein’s general theory of relativity, a wormhole can connect black and white holes. The collapsar serves as the entrance to such a tunnel, where matter and information can get in, whereas the white hole serves as an exit, from which matter and information can come out.

Can A Wormhole Destroy A Black Hole?

wormhole
If wormholes exist, scientists may one-day spot black holes falling into them, a new study suggests. Credit: Shutterstock

No, a wormhole cannot destroy a collapsar. They are considered extremely stable astrophysical objects, and currently, there isn’t a known physical process that could destroy them.

Theoretically, if a black hole and a wormhole meet, the former could absorb the latter if it were within its event horizon. However, if the wormhole turns out to be significantly larger than its counterpart and is stable enough not to collapse, that is, if it contains the necessary amount of exotic matter to maintain its structure, then a small collapsar could enter one of its “mouths” and, possibly, exit the other. However, if this black hole has enough mass to significantly bend the spacetime around the wormhole or absorb some of its matter, then its entry will likely cause the wormhole to collapse.

Based on 2020 research, astronomers believe they could detect collapsars falling into wormholes by detecting gravitational wave fluctuations in space-time — but only if warp holes actually exist.

What Would Happen If A Black Hole Ate A Wormhole?

This is one of the most intriguing questions to which scientists have no answer. According to some theoretical models, if a large collapsar collides with a smaller wormhole, it will engulf it, and an even larger collapsar may form as a result of this collision. If it absorbs only one of the warp hole “mouths,” this could sever the connection between the entrance and exit of its space-time “tunnel.” In any case, such an interaction would lead to a number of complex gravitational and quantum phenomena, but all these scenarios are still in the realm of theory and speculation.

Who Would Win A Wormhole Or A Black Hole?

So, obviously, the winner’s cup in the wormhole vs black hole confrontation has not been played yet. Some scientists suggest that many of the objects we call black holes today are actually entrances to wormholes. Others consider the existence of warp holes science fiction, and they can also be understood. After all, hypotheses are not scientific facts on which one can base conclusions. But what if these mysterious portals in the Universe really exist? What will they really be like and will we enjoy meeting them?

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