Which of the following best explains the hypothesized phenomenon of black hole evaporation?
A)Particles (or anti-particles)are occasionally ejected from within the event horizon,causing the black hole to lose mass.
B)Virtual particles created near the black hole are constantly annihilating each other,causing a very high temperature even if the black hole has no accretion disk.This high temperature provides escape velocity for the virtual particles,causing the entire "cloud" of virtual particles to expand away into space.
C)Particles (or anti-particles)are created by a quantum mechanical effect near,but outside,the event horizon of the black hole.The law of conservation of energy maintains that the black hole must lose energy to "pay" for the creation of this mass.
D)Black hole evaporation is a virtual process,meaning that it has been theorized by astrophysicists,but doesn't really occur.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The correct explanation for black hole evaporation, as hypothesized by Stephen Hawking, involves quantum mechanical effects near the event horizon. This process, known as Hawking radiation, posits that particle-antiparticle pairs are created near the event horizon. One of the pair may fall into the black hole while the other escapes, leading to a net loss of mass (and thus energy) from the black hole, as conservation of energy dictates that the energy for creating these particles comes from the black hole itself.

Which of the Following Best Explains the Hypothesized Phenomenon of Black