Hubble Space Telescope
Cycle 11 General Observer Proposal
General Observer proposal
Observing Hawking Radiation
Principal Investigator: Yihong Wang
Institution: Department of Physics and Astronomy Stony Brook University
United State
Electronic mail: yihong.w2@gmail.com
Scientific category: COSMOLOGY
Scientific keywords: HAWKING RADIATION, BLACK HOLE EVAPORATION
Instruments: GRBS, NICMOS, STIS, WFC Proprietary period: 12
Cycle 11 primary orbits: 1
Cycle 11 parallel orbits: 1
Abstract
We would like to propose for a experimental check of the Hawking Radiation.By hunting
for light blackholes measuring their radiation rate and the change of period of their nearby
stars
Yihong Wang
Observing Hawking Radiation
PI:
Investigator
Yihong Wang
Institution
Department of Physics and Astronomy Stony
Brook University
CoI:
Total number of investigators:
Observing Summary:
Target
RA
GAMMA RAY
SOURCE
DEC
Country
United State
2
V
Configuration,mode,aperture
spectral elements
Total
orbits
0
Flags
0
Grand total orbit request
0
NOTE: This grand total (0) does not equal the sum of cycle 11 primary (1) and parallel (1) orbits
plus cycle 12 primary (0) and parallel (0) orbits plus cycle 13 primary (0) and parallel (0) orbits
on page 1
2
Yihong Wang
Observing Hawking Radiation
Scientific Justification
Hawking radiation was predicted theoretically in 1974, it is a important theory because we
have relatively less knowledge about massive object in small scale compare . Such object
requires both quantum and general gravity consideration. Since we do not have much knowledge about how gravity and quantum mechanics can be incoporated into each other. We
need more hint and evidence from the experiment. However it has not been verified by any
real black hole. The main obstacle for verifiying Hawing’s theory is that the current known
black holes are too massive for the Hawking radiation to be detectable. Therefore to verify
Hawking readiation theory, either we could try to produce tiny blackhole in the labotary, or
we use space telescope to hunt for small enough black holes.
Description of the Observations
The small black hole is not found so far is because so far the way we observe black hole is
to search for invisible object at the center of the orbit of nearby stars. But this criteria only
works for large blackholes, which are not good objects for us to test Hawking radiation. To
find small blackholes, we need other criteria. In fact, we can directly hunt for objects that
satisfy the prediction of Hawking radiation. We would like to propose a search for gamma
ray source in the space,accoding to Hawking’s theory, the radiation should distribute as a
black body radiation. Also since the black hole will evaporate because of the radiation. if
the small black hole is orbiting other stars, the period will change accordingly. If we can
find object with above behavior. Then it should be a a good candidate of small black hole
Special Requirements
Coordinated Observations
Justify Duplications
Previous HST Programs
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