Phys 10

Wednesday, September 22, 2021 12:30 pm - 1:20 pm EDT (GMT -04:00)

Robert Mann, UW Physics and Astronomy

Black Holes — From Physics to Chemistry

Black holes are amongst the strangest objects in the universe.  Absorbing all forms of matter, they emit random radiation due to quantum effects that result in some of the strangest paradoxes in physics.  This same effect indicates that black holes can actually behave like chemical systems, having triple points like that of water and having phase transitions like that of a liquid/gas system or even like superfluid helium. 

This talk will introduce you to black holes, their strange physical properties,  their “everyday” chemical properties, and their quantum paradoxes that remain unsolved.