Mini black holes could be the key to parallel universes

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC)—the biggest particle collider in the world—may be the key to uncovering the existence of parallel universes.

 

In a study published in the journal Physics Letters B, physicists Ahmed Farag Ali, Mir Faizal, and Mohammed M. Khalil explain that detecting mini black holes could be an indication of the existence of extra dimensions. This would provide support for string theory and other related models, all of which predict the existence existence of extra dimensions and parallel universes.

 

“Normally, when people think of the multiverse, they think of the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics, where every possibility is actualized,” Faizal told Phys.org. “This cannot be tested and so it is philosophy and not science. This is not what we mean by parallel universes. What we mean is real universes in extra dimensions.”

 

If extra dimensions exist, it’s thought that they would lower the energy needed to make black holes, making it possible for the LHC to produce them. According to Faizal, this is because gravity in our universe may flow into the extra dimensions.

 

The LHC hasn’t detected any mini black holes yet, but instead of concluding that there are no extra dimensions, the researchers offer another explanation. They suggest that the model of gravity used in predicting the required LHC energy level for black hole production isn’t accurate because quantum effects haven’t been taken into consideration.

 

Gravity, thought of as the curvature of space and time, gets deformed at the Planck scale, where mini black holes are thought to exist.

 

The new theory of gravity’s rainbow has been used to explain this phenomenon. Using the theory, scientists computed that more energy than previously thought was needed to produce mini black holes via the LHC. The LHC has searched for mini black holes at energy levels below 5.3 TeV, but levels should actually be at least 9.5 TeV (for six dimensions) and 11.9 TeV (for 10 dimensions).

 

The LHC is designed to reach 14 TeV, so maybe future runs will be able to detect the presence of mini black holes. — Bea Montenegro/TJD, GMA News