Under conventional physics, non-rotating black holes are prevented from splitting because the division would decrease total entropy. However, the study demonstrates that exceptional spin rates allow the two newly formed bodies to achieve the necessary separation without immediately merging back together. Additionally, researchers found that models incorporating extra spatial dimensions cause black hole-like objects to become unstable, making such breaks thermodynamically favorable.
Key points
Extreme rotational speeds provide a theoretical mechanism to bypass standard thermodynami…: Extreme rotational speeds provide a theoretical mechanism to bypass standard thermodynamic laws that prevent black holes from splitting.
Theoretical frameworks utilizing extra spatial dimensions reveal that black hole-like obj…: Theoretical frameworks utilizing extra spatial dimensions reveal that black hole-like objects can become unstable and naturally break apart.
A division scenario becomes thermodynamically favorable in extra dimensions especially wh…: A division scenario becomes thermodynamically favorable in extra dimensions especially when one of the resulting black holes is significantly smaller.
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- Date:
- November 2, 2026
- Source:
- University of Southern Denmark
- Summary:
- Scientists have discovered a possible loophole in the laws that normally prevent black holes from splitting apart, suggesting that extremely fast-spinning black holes might divide into two. The surprising finding raises the possibility of an entirely new black hole phenomenon that future telescopes could potentially detect.
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Black holes are known for merging when two of them collide, but could the reverse ever happen? Could a single black hole somehow divide into two smaller ones? A new theoretical study suggests that this extraordinary possibility may not be entirely ruled out by physics, although the conditions required would be extreme.
The research, published in Physical Review D under the title "When Black Holes Admit Pair-of-pants Topologies," examines the physical laws that keep black holes intact and whether certain circumstances could allow them to break apart.
"In our study, we investigate which physical laws normally prevent a black hole from splitting into two. We also investigate if certain circumstances may allow a split to happen,"…
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