Charged black hole
Encyclopedia
A charged black hole is a black hole
that possesses electric charge
. Since the electromagnetic repulsion in compressing an electrically charged mass is dramatically greater than the gravitational attraction (by about 40 orders of magnitude), it is not expected that black holes with a significant electric charge will be formed in nature.
A charged black hole is one of three possible types of black holes that could exist in the theory of gravitation called general relativity
. Black holes can be characterized by three (and only three
) quantities, its
A special, mathematically-oriented article describes the Reissner-Nordström metric
for a charged, non-rotating black hole.
The solutions of Einstein's field equation for the gravitational field
of an electrically charged point mass (with zero angular momentum) in empty space was obtained in 1918 by Hans Reissner
and Gunnar Nordström
, not long after Karl Schwarzschild
found the Schwarzschild metric
as a solution for a point mass without electric charge and angular momentum.
Black hole
A black hole is a region of spacetime from which nothing, not even light, can escape. The theory of general relativity predicts that a sufficiently compact mass will deform spacetime to form a black hole. Around a black hole there is a mathematically defined surface called an event horizon that...
that possesses electric charge
Electric charge
Electric charge is a physical property of matter that causes it to experience a force when near other electrically charged matter. Electric charge comes in two types, called positive and negative. Two positively charged substances, or objects, experience a mutual repulsive force, as do two...
. Since the electromagnetic repulsion in compressing an electrically charged mass is dramatically greater than the gravitational attraction (by about 40 orders of magnitude), it is not expected that black holes with a significant electric charge will be formed in nature.
A charged black hole is one of three possible types of black holes that could exist in the theory of gravitation called general relativity
General relativity
General relativity or the general theory of relativity is the geometric theory of gravitation published by Albert Einstein in 1916. It is the current description of gravitation in modern physics...
. Black holes can be characterized by three (and only three
No hair theorem
The no-hair theorem postulates that all black hole solutions of the Einstein-Maxwell equations of gravitation and electromagnetism in general relativity can be completely characterized by only three externally observable classical parameters: mass, electric charge, and angular momentum...
) quantities, its
- massMassMass can be defined as a quantitive measure of the resistance an object has to change in its velocity.In physics, mass commonly refers to any of the following three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent:...
M (called a Schwarzschild black hole if it has no angular momentum and no electric charge), - angular momentumAngular momentumIn physics, angular momentum, moment of momentum, or rotational momentum is a conserved vector quantity that can be used to describe the overall state of a physical system...
J (called a Kerr black hole if it has no charge), and - electric chargeElectric chargeElectric charge is a physical property of matter that causes it to experience a force when near other electrically charged matter. Electric charge comes in two types, called positive and negative. Two positively charged substances, or objects, experience a mutual repulsive force, as do two...
Q (charged black hole or Reissner-Nordström black hole if the angular momentum is zero or a Kerr-Newman black hole if it has both angular momentum and electric charge).
A special, mathematically-oriented article describes the Reissner-Nordström metric
Reissner-Nordström metric
In physics and astronomy, the Reissner–Nordström metric is a static solution to the Einstein-Maxwell field equations, which corresponds to the gravitational field of a charged, non-rotating, spherically symmetric body of mass M.-The metric:...
for a charged, non-rotating black hole.
The solutions of Einstein's field equation for the gravitational field
Gravitational field
The gravitational field is a model used in physics to explain the existence of gravity. In its original concept, gravity was a force between point masses...
of an electrically charged point mass (with zero angular momentum) in empty space was obtained in 1918 by Hans Reissner
Hans Reissner
Hans Jacob Reissner was a German aeronautical engineer whose avocation was mathematical physics. During World War I he was awarded the Iron Cross second class for his pioneering work on aircraft design....
and Gunnar Nordström
Gunnar Nordström
Gunnar Nordström was a Finnish theoretical physicist best remembered for his theory of gravitation, which was an early competitor of general relativity...
, not long after Karl Schwarzschild
Karl Schwarzschild
Karl Schwarzschild was a German physicist. He is also the father of astrophysicist Martin Schwarzschild.He is best known for providing the first exact solution to the Einstein field equations of general relativity, for the limited case of a single spherical non-rotating mass, which he accomplished...
found the Schwarzschild metric
Schwarzschild metric
In Einstein's theory of general relativity, the Schwarzschild solution describes the gravitational field outside a spherical, uncharged, non-rotating mass such as a star, planet, or black hole. It is also a good approximation to the gravitational field of a slowly rotating body like the Earth or...
as a solution for a point mass without electric charge and angular momentum.