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For nearly the last seventy years, the corridors of astrophysics have been echoing with the murmur of an exciting theory: the existence of kugelblitze.

These are not your average black holes. They are born not from the collapse of matter, but conceived through incredibly dense concentrations of light.

Kugelblitze have been speculated as the potential key to unlocking mysteries of the universe, like dark matter, and perhaps more enticingly, powering spaceships of the future.

However, this extraordinary theory has just hit a roadblock.

A formidable team of researchers from the University of Waterloo and Universidad Complutense de Madrid, led by the brilliant Eduardo Martn-Martnez, a professor of applied mathematics and mathematical physics, has established that kugelblitz might not be a reality in our universe.

Their compelling research, conveniently titled No black holes from light, is soon to be published in the Physical Review Letters after a preprint on arXiv.

The quantum realm and black holes share intriguing connections. Quantum mechanics governs the behavior of particles at the smallest scales. Black holes represent extreme gravity at cosmic scales.

Scientists believe quantum effects become important near a black holes center. Hawking radiation, a quantum phenomenon, causes black holes to slowly evaporate.

The black hole information paradox arises from conflicts between quantum theory and general relativity.

Researchers study black holes to better understand quantum gravity. Some theories propose black holes as gateways to other universes via quantum effects.

The relationship between these realms remains an active area of research in theoretical physics.

The most commonly known black holes are those caused by enormous concentrations of regular matter collapsing under its own gravity, said Prof. Martn-Martnez, who is also affiliated with the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. However, this prediction was made without considering quantum effects.

Trying to shed light on the matter, the team built a mathematical model, incorporating quantum effects.

They found that the concentration of light needed to spawn a kugelblitz outpaces the light intensity found in quasars, the brightest objects in our cosmos, by tens of orders of magnitude.

Long before you could reach that intensity of light, certain quantum effects would occur first, Jos Polo-Gmez, a Ph.D. candidate in applied mathematics and quantum information, remarked.

That strong of a concentration of light would lead to the spontaneous creation of particles like electron-positron pairs, which would move very quickly away from the area.

Though testing such effects on Earth isnt possible with current technologies, the teams confidence in their findings stems from the rock-solid principles of mathematics and science, that also power positron emission tomography (PET) scans.

Electrons, and their antiparticles (positrons) can annihilate each other and disintegrate into pairs of photons, or light particles, Martn-Martnez explained.

When there is a large concentration of photons they can disintegrate into electron-positron pairs, which are quickly scattered away taking the energy with them and preventing the gravitational collapse.

While the sprint towards kugelblitze mightve hit an unexpected speed breaker, the research is a massive victory for fundamental physics.

This collaborative effort between applied mathematics, the Perimeter Institute, and the Institute for Quantum Computing at Waterloo is laying the foundation for future significant scientific breakthroughs.

While these discoveries may not have known applications right now, we are laying the groundwork for our descendants technological innovations, Polo-Gmez ambitiously outlines.

The science behind PET scan machines was once just as theoretical, and now theres one in every hospital.

As we conclude this enlightening journey, lets remember science is not just about confirming theories but also about disproving them. Todays quantum quirks are the stepping stones for tomorrows path-breaking technologies.

While kugelblitze may not have panned out the way they were imagined, theyve undoubtedly illuminated a new direction for further exploration.

Whether its understanding the universe or developing technologies for future generations, every eureka moment counts, including those that remind us of what is not possible.

And in this vast expanse of what we know and what remains unknown, one fact remains resolute on the journey of scientific discovery, theres never a dull moment.

The full study was published in the journal arXiv.

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What is a 'kugelblitze' and why should you care? - Earth.com