<p>The evaporation occurs through Hawking radiation. This is a very slow and low energy process. So low that the cosmic microwave background radiation, which is just a few degrees above absolute zero, pours far more energy into the black hole than Hawking radiation takes away. So in principle a black hole cannot evaporate.</p>

<p>With the exception of conjectured atomic sized black holes, that is, as Hawking radiation would be more pronounced then. </p>

<p>Edit: See this answer on the physics SE: <a href="https://physics.stackexchange.com/a/26607/55483">https://physics.stackexchange.com/a/26607/55483</a>
The black hole would need to be less massive than the moon to radiate more energy than it absorbs. Bigger than atomic size, as I suggested. </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-25T18:08:29.777Z
@HDE226868 I found a similar question and answer on the physics SE, and added a link to it in my answer.
zibadawa timmy
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-26T00:47:37.600Z
@Dilaton Which part is incorrect, then? What you say is what that answer says, so I'm not sure what is being disagreed with.
zibadawa timmy
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2014-08-25T16:06:03.987Z
2014-08-25T18:07:39.340Z
2017-04-13T12:40:15.377Z
zibadawa timmy
<p>hawking radiation. electrons and positrons created from the vacuum must 'repay' their energy, usually through annihilation of each other. however, if one crosses through the event horizon of a black hole and the other escapes, the energy from the black hole as well as that of the particle will 'repay' and the escaped particle becomes real. this is a very slow process and in most circumstances I would assume that a black hole would accumulate more energy than it loses.</p>

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2014-09-01T16:23:32.407Z
I don't think they are electrons and positrons but virtual particles.
Yashbhatt
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2014-09-01T12:45:06.080Z
2014-09-01T12:45:06.080Z
stanley dodds
<p>Will black holes evaporate, if they evaporate? When and why do they evaporate? What are the conditions for evaporation? Under what principle do they evaporate?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-26T13:26:49.913Z
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawking_radiation
Nirvik Baruah
<black-hole>
How do black holes evaporate?
user52076
# How do black holes evaporate?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-08-25)

Will black holes evaporate, if they evaporate? When and why do they evaporate? What are the conditions for evaporation? Under what principle do they evaporate?

**Tags:** black-hole

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawking_radiation  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2014-08-25. Score: 2

The evaporation occurs through Hawking radiation. This is a very slow and low energy process. So low that the cosmic microwave background radiation, which is just a few degrees above absolute zero, pours far more energy into the black hole than Hawking radiation takes away. So in principle a black hole cannot evaporate.

With the exception of conjectured atomic sized black holes, that is, as Hawking radiation would be more pronounced then.

Edit: See this answer on the physics SE: <https://physics.stackexchange.com/a/26607/55483>
The black hole would need to be less massive than the moon to radiate more energy than it absorbs. Bigger than atomic size, as I suggested.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: @HDE226868 I found a similar question and answer on the physics SE, and added a link to it in my answer.  
> **username_2**: @Dilaton Which part is incorrect, then? What you say is what that answer says, so I'm not sure what is being disagreed with.  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2014-09-01. Score: 1

hawking radiation. electrons and positrons created from the vacuum must 'repay' their energy, usually through annihilation of each other. however, if one crosses through the event horizon of a black hole and the other escapes, the energy from the black hole as well as that of the particle will 'repay' and the escaped particle becomes real. this is a very slow process and in most circumstances I would assume that a black hole would accumulate more energy than it loses.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: I don't think they are electrons and positrons but virtual particles.  

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