Universe expected to decay in 10⁷⁸ years, much sooner than previously thought

[erronis]

https://phys.org/news/2025-05-universe-decay-years-sooner-previously.html

Artistic impression of a neutron star that is 'evaporating' slowly via Hawking-like radiation. Credit: Daniëlle Futselaar/artsource.nl

The universe is decaying much faster than thought. This is shown by calculations of three Dutch scientists on the so-called Hawking radiation. They calculate that the last stellar remnants take about 10^78 years to perish. That is much shorter than the previously postulated 10^1100 years.

The researchers have published their findings in the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics.

The research by black hole expert Heino Falcke, quantum physicist Michael Wondrak, and mathematician Walter van Suijlekom (all from Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands) is a follow-up to a 2023 paper by the same trio.

In that paper, they showed that not only black holes, but also other objects such as neutron stars, can "evaporate" via a process akin to Hawking radiation. After that publication, the researchers received many questions from inside and outside the scientific community about how long the process would take. They have now answered this question in the new article.

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