Hawking’s black hole theorem proven by gravitational waves
Gravitational waves confirm Hawking’s 50-year-old black hole theorem with 99.999% confidence.
Why it matters
- Confirms a 50-year-old theory by Stephen Hawking.
- Shows advancement in gravitational wave detection technology.
By the numbers
- Confidence level: 99.999%.
- Black hole masses: 30-40 times the mass of our sun.
- Distance of collision: 1.3 billion light years away.
The big picture
- Confirms Hawking’s black hole area theorem.
- Supports Roy Kerr’s equations about black holes.
- Advances understanding of quantum gravity.
What they're saying
- Comparisons to posthumous fame for artists.
- Importance of LIGO upgrade for high-confidence results.
- Fascination with proving seemingly obvious phenomena.
Caveats
- Only LIGO was operational during detection, limiting localization.
- Future observations could provide more detailed data.
What’s next
- Future upgrades to LIGO and other observatories.
- More detailed observations of black hole collisions.