<p>In general, don't think of black holes as material objects like stars or planets. We can ascribe properties like mass, charge and angular momentum to them, but if you're near a black hole and reach out to touch its event horizon, you won't feel anything (assuming you're still alive). Your hand will simply pass through empty space, and then into the black hole. Think of black holes instead as regions of spacetime, with the curious property that if you enter one, you can never exit.</p>

<p>I'm guessing your question is motivated by the fact that neutrinos interact extremely weakly with normal matter. They have very little mass and no electric charge, and mainly influence other particles through the weak nuclear force - which is, of course, weak, although not as weak as gravity. The problem with taking this assumption further and concluding that a neutrino might pass through a black hole unharmed is that black holes aren't "normal matter". They're sections of spacetime, and while they may contain matter, that matter is not at all important when interacting with other particles. The only thing here that is important is that they are sections of space which have only one-way openings. Once inside, nothing can leave.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-12-16T00:37:04.137Z
2016-12-16T00:37:04.137Z
HDE 226868
<p>What would happen to a neutrino that, traveling parallel to the black hole, crossed it's event horizon?  Would it come through the other side unaffected? Or, A neutrino and a black hole just happen to be traveling in the same direction but the neutrino get close enough to cross the event horizon.  Is it now trapped inside the event horizon even though technically it only interacted with the black hole on a gravitational level?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-12-18T01:11:38.683Z
Does have a black hole "other side"?
Ginasius
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-12-18T05:31:55.903Z
I'm definitely my question...
Harlemme
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-12-18T05:42:38.183Z
I just expanded my question?
Harlemme
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-12-19T15:17:20.903Z
@Harlemme My answer doesn't really change post-edit. There's nothing special about a neutrino; it can get trapped in a black hole like any other particle.
HDE 226868
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-12-19T20:23:07.393Z
But something must be able to escape, if only through quantum tunneling, otherwise evaporation wouldn't be possible.
Harlemme
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-12-20T13:15:54.490Z
@Harlemme Virtual particles can escape, yes, but not real particles that enter the black hole.
HDE 226868
<black-hole><neutrinos>
Neutrinos passing through black holes
Harlemme
# Neutrinos passing through black holes

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-12-16)

What would happen to a neutrino that, traveling parallel to the black hole, crossed it's event horizon? Would it come through the other side unaffected? Or, A neutrino and a black hole just happen to be traveling in the same direction but the neutrino get close enough to cross the event horizon. Is it now trapped inside the event horizon even though technically it only interacted with the black hole on a gravitational level?

**Tags:** black-hole, neutrinos

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Does have a black hole "other side"?  
> **username_0**: I'm definitely my question...  
> **username_0**: I just expanded my question?  
> **username_2**: @username_0 My answer doesn't really change post-edit. There's nothing special about a neutrino; it can get trapped in a black hole like any other particle.  
> **username_0**: But something must be able to escape, if only through quantum tunneling, otherwise evaporation wouldn't be possible.  
> **username_2**: @username_0 Virtual particles can escape, yes, but not real particles that enter the black hole.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2016-12-16. Score: 13

In general, don't think of black holes as material objects like stars or planets. We can ascribe properties like mass, charge and angular momentum to them, but if you're near a black hole and reach out to touch its event horizon, you won't feel anything (assuming you're still alive). Your hand will simply pass through empty space, and then into the black hole. Think of black holes instead as regions of spacetime, with the curious property that if you enter one, you can never exit.

I'm guessing your question is motivated by the fact that neutrinos interact extremely weakly with normal matter. They have very little mass and no electric charge, and mainly influence other particles through the weak nuclear force - which is, of course, weak, although not as weak as gravity. The problem with taking this assumption further and concluding that a neutrino might pass through a black hole unharmed is that black holes aren't "normal matter". They're sections of spacetime, and while they may contain matter, that matter is not at all important when interacting with other particles. The only thing here that is important is that they are sections of space which have only one-way openings. Once inside, nothing can leave.


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