Soft Hair on Black Holes

[decraig]

Just 2 days ago, Jan 8, 2016, the long awaited follow up paper arrived.

 

http://arxiv.org/abs/1601.00921

 

Hawking, et al, describe a different sort of animal, not a black hole at all, in the sense that a black hole is defined as a region of space from which nothing can escape, not even light.

 

I suggest naming this new object a "Foo' Hole." In case it has escaped notice, Foo' Holes and Black Holes are mutually exclusive theoretical objects.

 

Should Hawking argue his theory on this site will he also be suspended, as I, by a moderator operating far outside his pay grade?

 

Later. Much, much later.

Edited January 11, 2016 by decraig

[ajb]

Hawking, et al, describe a different sort of animal, not a black hole at all, in the sense that a black hole is defined as a region of space from which nothing can escape, not even light.

I will have to read the paper properly to make many meaningful comment, if I can. However, Hawking et al look at black holes and the BMS symmetry which is an asymptomatically is a symmetry of the metric. This symmetry leaves the boundary conditions at null infinity unchanged.

 

I suggest naming this new object a "Foo' Hole." In case it has escaped notice, Foo' Holes and Black Holes are mutually exclusive theoretical objects.

If you can justify this, then write a paper on it, or suggest it to Hawking.

 

Should Hawking argue his theory on this site will he also be suspended, as I, by a moderator operating far outside his pay grade?

This is a strange question, but why would Hawking get suspended if he obeyed the rules? Importantly, he and his colleagues have done some mathematical theory building and this qualifies as 'mainstream physics' in the sense that it is up to the standard required to stand a good chance of being published in a reputable journal.

 

Anyway, what is it you want to discuss?

[Strange]

Hawking, et al, describe a different sort of animal, not a black hole at all, in the sense that a black hole is defined as a region of space from which nothing can escape, not even light.

 

Although much of the paper goes way over my head, I can't see anything that suggests that this is that different from previous descriptions of black holes.

I am looking forward to the "Dummies Guide" explanation of this work ...

There is an interview with one of the authors, Andrew Strominger, here which explains some of this:

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/dark-star-diaries/stephen-hawking-s-new-black-hole-paper-translated-an-interview-with-co-author-andrew-strominger/

 

There is absolutely nothing to suggest that this is "not a black hole at all", just a possible step towards resolving the information problem.

And some comments by Sabine Hossenfelder (who, I assume, knows what she is talking about):

http://backreaction.blogspot.com.au/2016/01/more-information-emerges-about-new.html

Edited January 11, 2016 by Strange