Gravity, according to Einstein's theory of general relativity, distorts space-time, so that quantum fields get more warped the closer they get to the immense gravitational tug of a black hole's singularity.īecause of the uncertainty and weirdness of quantum mechanics, Hawking said this warping creates uneven pockets of differently moving time and subsequent spikes of energy across the field. In a landmark paper published in 1974, Hawking famously predicted that the extreme gravitational force felt at the mouths of black holes - their event horizons - would summon photons into existence in this way. Space is instead teeming with tiny vibrations that, if imbued with enough energy, randomly burst into virtual particles, producing very-low-energy packets of light, or photons. Space-time monstersĪccording to quantum field theory, there is no such thing as an empty vacuum.
The researchers published their findings June 2 in the journal Physical Review Letters.
