Quantum Signatures of Black Hole Mass Superpositions

Applying quantum mechanics to black holes

31 March 2023

A black hole could have two very different masses at the same time, calculations suggest.

The cornerstones of modern physics, quantum theory and general relativity excel at describing the very small and very large, respectively. But they are fundamentally incompatible with each other. Physicists are striving to develop a theory of quantum gravity that will unite the two theories.

Due to their unique properties, black holes are promising places to look for intersections between gravity and quantum mechanics.

Now, calculations by a team led by researchers from the University of Queensland in Australia have predicted that black holes exhibit signatures of quantum–gravitational effects. 

In particular, a black hole will exhibit quantum superposition — the ability to be in a mixture of different states at any one time. A suitable detector placed near a black hole would be able to detect the superposition of different masses.

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References

1. Physical Review Letters 129, 181301 (2022). doi: 10.1103/physrevlett.129.181301