Traditional black holes, as predicted by Albert Einstein's theory of General Relativity, contain what are known as singularities, i.e. points where the laws of physics break down. Identifying how singularities are resolved in the context of quantum gravity is one of the fundamental problems in theoretical physics. Now, a team of experts from the Institute of Cosmos Sciences of the University of Barcelona (ICCUB) has described for the first time the creation of regular black holes from gravitational effects and without the need for the existence of exotic matter required by some previous models.
This discovery, published in the journal Physics Letters B, opens up new prospects for improving our understanding of the quantum nature of gravity and the true structure of space-time.
Black holes without singularities
The term exotic matter refers to a type of matter that has unusual properties not found in ordinary matter. It often has a negative energy density, creates repulsive gravitational effects, and can violate certain energy conditions in general relativity. Exotic matter is largely theoretical and has not been observed in nature, but is used in models to explore concepts such as wormholes, faster-than-light travel and the resolution of black hole singularities.
The new study mathematically demonstrates that an infinite series of higher-order gravitational corrections can eliminate these singularities and result in so-called regular black holes.
