Is it possible that a big enough particle accelerator ,(the RHIC for example), could generate a black hole. If so - how?
Asked by: Tim Butler
Answer
I have just read the latest edition of New Scientist magazine which features a 4 page
article on the subject.According to the article, the smallest possible black hole is
about 10-35 meters across (Planck's Length). To create such an object by collision
would require energies of 1019 Giga-electronvolts - more than ten million billion
times the energies created by the RHIC. We would need a particle accelerator as big
as the galaxy to do it. Even then, this black hole would evaporate in about 10-42
seconds. So, basically, the answer is no.
Answered by: Tim Butler
'The difference between what the most and the least learned people know is inexpressibly trivial in relation to that which is unknown.'