Could Black holes have total internal reflection??
By darthbakwaas
@darthbakwaas (30)
December 31, 2007 2:58am CST
Is it possible that the reason light does not escape from black holes is that it has such a dense material that no matter what the incident angle of the light is(inside the black hole) , it is always less than the critical angle ? your comments please .
3 responses
@ferritic (82)
• Philippines
31 Dec 07
Darthbakwaas,
Black holes are too dense that time and energy stops. In order to reflect the light you need energy waves to travel but since the pull of gravity is too much that even energy in motion stops. This is one of the many reasons why even light do not reflect in a black hole. Black hole are similar to the white dwarf where it also experiencing too much gravitational pull but white dwarf are compacted stars.
More power,
Ferritic
@darthbakwaas (30)
•
31 Dec 07
You r right about the gravitational pull of the black holes and the reason light doesnt travel but i am thinking in a totally different way . Suppose the reason for black hole's 'darkness' wasa not gravity . Then energy would not halt in a black hole . Since none of us have ever been there we cant tell wats going on . Anyway thanks for responding.
@theprogamer (10532)
• United States
31 Dec 07
Its not as clear what you are getting at, but black holes are "invisible" since they absorb light (hence there is nothing to 'illuminate' or show the hole, even the background space/stars can't be seen as all light around it is being absorbed.). The event horizon of the black hole is detected when something besides like hits it (like spaceborne gases). Also items absorbed by the black hole can't return in the sense that we know. The light may still be inside the hole traveling at the speed, but unable to escape the gravitational field of the black hole. In other senses though the light is no longer moving due to this very explanation. We are still learning about space and its wonders, so what you claim isn't wrong, you'd just have to prove it in a through manner.
@ferritic (82)
• Philippines
16 Jan 08
thank you progamer for the response. It is well noted.
Yours truly ferritic
@garavegeta (963)
• Kochi, India
27 Apr 13
Thats not correct,it's because of its immense gravitational pull,that even photons at light seed loses momentum and falls into it.Its is not because of TIR,that light doesn't escape. @theprogamer (10532)
• United States
31 Dec 07
I think its more due to the gravitational forces of the black hole. Plus the things are still being studied even when it comes to formation and their role in galaxy (like the super blackholes at the center). The gravity itself is outstanding strong that even light not being pointed directly at the formation is still pulled into the field. Its not that the black hole is made of dense matter, its because the particular region of space has the gravitational forces capable of bending/exceeding lightspeed.
