In the 1970s, the eminent physicist Stephen Hawking made a revolutionary discovery through his calculations: black holes are not completely black. Instead, they constantly emit faint radiation, causing them to slowly lose their energy and eventually evaporate completely. However, this process gave rise to the so-called “black hole information paradox”—one of the greatest unsolved problems in modern physics.
Illustration of a black hole. Source: SciTechDaily
The core of the conflict lies in the fact that the disappearance of a black hole supposedly erases all information about objects that have ever fallen into it. This directly violates the principle of unitarity and the fundamental laws of quantum mechanics, which categorically state that quantum information cannot be destroyed.
Twisted Space
A team of scientists led by Richard Pinčák recently published a study in General Relativity and Gravitation that offers a compelling solution to this crisis. Their solution is based on the effects of the Einstein-Cartan gravitational model in a so-called seven-dimensional system—a mathematical structure known as G2-manifold with torsion.
Unlike the classical general theory of relativity, this model allows spacetime not only to be warped by mass, but also to literally “twist.” Researchers have found that at extreme densities on the Planck scale, this twisting generates a powerful repulsive force. This force counteracts collapse and completely halts the final stage of Hawking evaporation. As a result, the black hole does not disappear but transforms into a stable remnant with a mass of about 9 × 10⁻⁴¹ kg.
Quantum memory in relics
If a black hole leaves behind such a relic, a logical question arises: what happens to the information it absorbs? Scientists believe that this stable remnant functions as a kind of archive of the universe’s memory. Quantum information is physically encoded in the long-lasting “vibrations” of the torsion field.
A schematic illustration of the concept presented in the 7-dimensional Einstein–Cartan theory on a G2-manifold with torsion. The left panel depicts a 7-dimensional G2-manifold with torsion. Geometric torsion generates a repulsive force at Planck densities (center inset), stabilizing the black hole remnant. By reducing the dimensionality, the expected value of the torsion vacuum is identified with the electroweak scale (≈246 GeV), which naturally provides the Higgs field vacuum expectation value (VEV) and allows elementary particles to acquire mass in 4-dimensional spacetime. Source: Institute of Experimental Physics, SAS
According to the team’s calculations, a relic formed from a black hole with a mass equal to that of our Sun is capable of reliably storing an impressive amount of data—approximately 1.515 × 10⁷⁷ qubits. This storage capacity is more than sufficient to completely resolve the information paradox.
An unexpected connection to the Higgs field
The new physical model is of immense significance not only for astrophysics but also for particle physics. Scientists have discovered that the mathematical “folding” of their seven-dimensional geometry into four dimensions naturally gives rise to an electroweak scale at around 246 GeV.
This scale is closely linked to the Higgs field—the mechanism that endows all fundamental particles with their mass. The vacuum expectation value of the torsion field is dynamically tied to this electroweak scale. Simply put: the very same geometric torsion effect that saves information from destruction in a black hole simultaneously offers a geometric explanation for the mass hierarchy problem in the quantum world.
How can we verify seven-dimensional reality?
Why, then, has modern science still not found any direct evidence of the existence of these hidden extra dimensions? The answer lies in the unreachable energy scales. Particles associated with these dimensions, known as Kaluza-Klein excitations, must have a colossal mass of about 8.6 × 10¹⁵ GeV. This is roughly seven orders of magnitude beyond the capabilities of the Large Hadron Collider.
However, the theory is not impossible to test, as it makes clear predictions:
Stable black hole remnants could make up a significant portion of the mysterious dark matter.
Detecting the gravitational influence of these “Planck relics” would provide strong confirmation of the hypothesis.
The immense energies of the early Universe could have left traces of this seven-dimensional geometry in the cosmic microwave background.
Indicators of the theory may be hidden in the spectrum of primordial gravitational waves.
By linking the mystery of black holes to the mass of particles, this study demonstrates that physicists may not need to rewrite the laws of quantum mechanics to resolve the information paradox. Instead, it reveals to humanity a deeper, seven-dimensional picture of the structure of our reality.
We previously shared some interesting facts about black holes.
According to scitechdaily.com