Schwarz·schild radius (shwôrts ch ld , shvärtssh ld)n. The radius of a collapsing celestial object at which gravitational forces require an escape velocity that exceeds the velocity of light, resulting in a black hole. [After Karl Schwarzschild (1873-1916), German astronomer.] |
Schwarzschild radius [ˈʃwɔːtsˌʃɪld (German) ˈʃvartsʃɪlt]
n
(Astronomy) Astronomy the radius of a sphere (Schwarzschild sphere) surrounding a non-rotating uncharged black hole, from within which no information can escape because of gravitational forces
[named after Karl Schwarzschild (1873-1916), US astrophysicist]
| Schwarzschild radius (shwôrtschld, shvärtsshld) A radius defined for a body of a given mass and proportional to that mass, such that if the body is smaller than that radius, the force of gravity is strong enough to prevent matter and energy to escape from within that radius. The Earth is much larger than its Schwarzschild radius, which is approximately 7 mm (0.28 inches).Black holes are examples of objects smaller than their Schwarzschild radius, which defines the radius of their event horizon. The Schwarzschild radius is a consequence of Einstein's General Relativity theory. It is named after the German astronomer Karl Schwarzschild (1873-1916). |
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