Black Holes Can Split Like Cells If Spinning at Maximum Speed

Spinning at the absolute maximum velocity permitted by the laws of physics, a single black hole can theoretically split into two distinct entities. That finding emerges from research published on October 22 in the scientific journal Physical Review D, as reported by telset.id.

Until now, the more commonly known process has been the reverse. When two black holes collide, they merge to form a single, more massive object, sending gravitational waves rippling across the fabric of spacetime. The new study explores the strict thermodynamic barriers that normally prevent a single black hole from dividing, alongside the narrow physical loophole that could make it happen.

Extreme Rotation Bypasses Black Hole Entropy Barrier

Thermodynamics dictates that isolated systems naturally evolve toward disorder, a measure known as entropy. If a stationary or slowly rotating black hole were to split in two, the overall entropy of the system would decrease. This reduction in entropy is strictly forbidden by foundational physical laws, effectively locking non-rotating black holes into a single, indivisible state.

Researchers found that extreme rotation alters that thermodynamic restriction. When a black hole spins at maximum capacity, its outer boundary—known as the event horizon—can deform into a shape resembling a pair of pants across spacetime. Two new black holes emerge from the legs of that topological split.

The Narrow Operational Window

Francesco Sannino of the University of Naples Federico II, an author of the study, noted that the operational window for this phenomenon is remarkably narrow.

"Dua lubang hitam yang dihasilkan juga harus mampu terpisah alih-alih langsung jatuh kembali dan menyatu," Sannino said.

When researchers factor in the requirement that the resulting objects must permanently separate, the probability window shrinks drastically. Sannino stated that the team cannot yet provide a single mathematical probability for the event. The likelihood depends heavily on how gravity behaves beyond standard Einsteinian relativity, a mechanism the research team is currently working to quantify.

Targeting Primordial Black Holes

While popular imagination might picture colossal cosmic giants undergoing division, the study indicates that splitting is far more viable for smaller objects. Telset.id reported that primordial black holes of minimal mass are theoretically far more vulnerable to this process than massive astrophysical black holes.

Prospects for Gamma-Ray Detection

Observing such an event directly remains exceedingly difficult, though not entirely impossible. Instruments like the Fermi-LAT gamma-ray telescope could theoretically detect indirect high-energy radiation signatures emitted by tiny fragments generated during a split.

Whether this mechanism occurs naturally in the universe or remains strictly confined to theoretical calculations depends on unresolved questions regarding gravitational behavior outside standard physics frameworks.