Quote:
Originally Posted by litespeed
This is something of a trojan horse sort of post. Specifically, I already suspect the answer is no, but am not sure. However, assuming a Neutron star can not become a black hole through accretion of additional mass, that means Black Holes are generally created through momentum as the minimum mass needed accelerates in the initial collapse.
1) Does this mass accelerated by gravity increase as it approaches the speed of light, thus increasing the mass and gravity of the BH?
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Both Neutron Stars and Black Holes are both remnants of the explosion of a star once its fuel is exhausted. When the stars mass is sufficient to explode in a Supernovae event or a simple Novae, the latter producing White Dwarf stars.
What determines whether the remnant will be a Neutron Star or Black Hole is dependent upon the mass of the original star. If the original star is above about 2 solar masses (twice the size of our sun). Then then end product produces a Black Hole over Neutron Star. Once the end product is produced it is pretty much static.
There would be one exception where a Neutron Star could go black. That would be if a Neutron Star were part of a binary system where the Neutron Star could accrete material from the other star. Matter transfer is common with eclipsing binaries in close orbits. Were the Neutron Star to exceed 2 solar masses, it would become a Black Hole.
Note: This is the process I learned in Astrophysics when I was in school (and was the conventional wisdom, until the article I read in SciAm) -- this months issue on Naked Singularities.
I am not aware what are the defining rules (not even sure they are known yet) what makes a Naked Singularity over a Black Hole. From the article, they imply if creeping up to the limit allows an Event Horizon (Black) whereas if creation is abrupt (SuperNova) then maybe Naked (assuming pressure properly taken into account).
I know this muddies up the clarity. Well, that is science....
maddog
