For decades, physicists have struggled with one of modern science’s deepest mysteries: the black hole information paradox. Now, new theoretical research suggests a possible solution, and it could also shed light on another great mystery in physics: the origin of the mass of fundamental particles.
This contradiction dates back to the work of Stephen Hawking in the 1970s. Hawking used semi-classical calculations to show that black holes are not completely black. Instead, they emit weak radiation that slowly drains their energy, causing their bodies to shrink and eventually disappear.
The results caused serious problems. According to quantum mechanics, information cannot be destroyed. But when a black hole completely evaporates, all information about the matter that fell into it seems to disappear as well. This apparent contradiction has become known as the black hole information paradox.
New research led by Richard Pinčák and published in 2016 general relativity and gravity I would suggest a different outcome. Researchers suggest the answer may lie in the geometry of the higher-dimensional universe.
Another dimension and twisted space-time
The research team investigated a version of gravity known as the Einstein-Cartan theory, formulated in seven dimensions based on a mathematical structure called the G2 manifold with twisting.
Unlike Einstein’s theory of general relativity, which describes space-time as something that can be bent or curved, Einstein-Cartan theory also allows for twisting of space-time. This twist is known as the space-time twist.
According to the model, torsion becomes particularly important at extreme densities associated with the Planck scale. Under these conditions, a repulsive force develops that counteracts gravitational collapse.
The researchers found that this repulsion effect can prevent the final stage of Hawking evaporation. Rather than disappear completely, the black hole will leave behind a stable “remnant” with a predicted mass of about 9 x 10-41 kg.
Black hole remnants as information storage
If the black hole does not completely disappear, the next question is obvious. What happens to the information contained in a black hole?
Researchers propose that the wreckage acts as a long-term information repository. In their framework, information is stored through a spectrum of “quasi-normal modes” associated with the structure of the debris.
More specifically, quantum information becomes encoded within the long-lived “vibrations” of torsion fields that exist within the geometry of the remnant.
Their calculations suggest that the debris left behind by a black hole with the mass of the Sun could store about 1.515*1077 qubits of information. According to the researchers, that capacity is just enough to store the information needed to solve the paradox.
Possibility of connection with the Higgs field
This research extends beyond black holes to particle physics.
The researchers claim that reducing the geometry from 7 dimensions to 4 dimensions (the spacetime we experience) naturally produces a weak electric scale ~246$ GeV). This energy scale is closely related to the Higgs field, which is responsible for giving mass to elementary particles.
Within the model, the vacuum expectation value (VEV) of the torsional field is dynamically identified on the electroweak scale (approximately 246 GeV).
As a result, the same geometric mechanisms that prevent complete evaporation of black holes and preserve quantum information may also provide a geometric explanation for the mass hierarchy problem, one of particle physics’ long-standing challenges.
How can a theory be tested?
If extra dimensions play such a fundamental role, why haven’t scientists observed them directly?
According to the study, the mass of the particle associated with these dimensions (Kaluza-Klein excitation) is approximately 8.6*1015 GeV. The energy scale exceeds the energy that can be reached by the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) by about seven orders of magnitude.
However, the authors stress that just because modern particle accelerators are inaccessible does not mean testing the theory is impossible.
This framework is built on specific geometric relationships, which generate concrete predictions that can potentially be investigated through astronomical observations.
One possibility involves a stable black hole remnant itself. The predicted debris (9*10-41 kg) could contribute to dark matter. Detecting the gravitational effects of these proposed “Planck relics” would provide direct support for this theory.
The model also makes unique predictions about how information is encoded in the “oscillations” (subnormal modes) of the debris, providing mathematical features that distinguish it from competing ideas.
Moreover, the involvement of very high energy scales is a characteristic of the early universe. This means that signatures of the proposed seven-dimensional geometry may be preserved in the cosmic microwave background or primordial gravitational waves.
This research offers an ambitious attempt to address multiple open questions in physics by linking black holes, quantum information, extra dimensions, and the Higgs field within a single framework. If this idea proves correct, the black hole information paradox may not require a modification of quantum mechanics after all. Rather, it may refer to a deeper understanding of reality rooted in the seven-dimensional structure of space-time.
