What is negative energy and can black holes lose mass?
1 Answer
Negative energy is a theoretical concept which enables things like wormholes to open.
Explanation:
General Relativity does allow for some exotic things. Black holes were first theorised as a solution to the equations. There is now strong evidence that they exist.
Likewise wormholes are allowed by the theory. The problem is that it requires negative energy to open the wormhole. Negative energy has never been observed and may not exist.
The only known phenomenon which can reduce the mass of a black hole is Hawking radiation. This is when a virtual particle-antiparticle pair form close to a black hole and one particle falls into the black hole and the other escapes. As virtual particles borrow energy, the missing energy is replaced by the black hole reducing its mass. Hawking radiation can cause a black hole to evaporate completely.
