Gravitational collapse as a research area investigates the nonlinear dynamical evolution of self-gravitating systems under general relativity and, where appropriate, Newtonian gravity, focusing on conditions under which matter configurations become unstable and contract to form compact objects or singularities. It encompasses analytical and numerical studies of stability thresholds, critical phenomena, horizon formation, equation-of-state dependence, and the role of angular momentum, radiation, and magnetic fields. The field also addresses cosmic censorship, gravitational-wave signatures, and the interplay between microphysical processes (e.g., nuclear and particle interactions) and macroscopic spacetime dynamics in contexts such as stellar core collapse, supernovae, and black hole formation.
Since gravitational waves were first detected in 2015, instruments including LIGO, Virgo and KAGRA have picked up a steady stream of signals from colliding black holes, building a catalog that now numbers in the hundreds. ...
Stars shine because atoms fuse in their interiors, releasing energy. When a very massive star has exhausted its nuclear fuel, radiation pressure can no longer provide sufficient counterforce to gravity. The star then collapses ...
General Physics
Jun 11, 2026
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We don't know whether theorized primordial black holes (PBH) are real. If they are, they formed in the very early universe, when physics was much different. They had no stellar progenitors and were created by the direct collapse ...
Astronomy
Jun 8, 2026
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114
Black holes are regions in space where gravity is so strong that nothing, even light, can escape. Einstein's theory of general relativity breaks down inside black holes, either by the presence of a so-called "curvature singularity" ...
One of the most puzzling findings from the JWST's observations of the early universe is the size of black holes. According to our understanding of black hole growth, these early black holes are far more massive than expected. ...
Astronomy
May 20, 2026
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69
When the densest objects in the universe collide and merge, the violence sets off ripples, in the form of gravitational waves, that reverberate across space and time, over hundreds of millions and even billions of years. ...
Astronomy
Mar 5, 2026
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What we know of the birth of a black hole has traditionally aligned with our perception of black holes themselves: dark, mysterious, and eerily quiet, despite their mass and influence. Stellar-mass black holes are born from ...
Astronomy
Jan 13, 2026
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In a paper published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, the international LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA Collaboration reports on the detection of two gravitational wave events in October and November of 2024 with unusual black hole ...
Astronomy
Oct 28, 2025
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In approximately 5 billion years, the sun will deplete its hydrogen fuel and collapse under its own gravity, becoming a white dwarf. Though Earth-sized, this dense remnant will retain much of the sun's gravitational influence.
Astronomy
Oct 22, 2025
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The universe is approaching the midpoint of its 33-billion-year lifespan, a Cornell physicist calculates with new data from dark-energy observatories. After expanding to its peak size about 11 billion years from now, it will ...
Astronomy
Oct 1, 2025
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