Schwarzschild radius
the radius at which a gravitationally collapsing celestial body becomes a black hole.
Origin of Schwarzschild radius
1Words Nearby Schwarzschild radius
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
British Dictionary definitions for Schwarzschild radius
/ (ˈʃwɔːtsˌʃɪld, German ˈʃvartsʃɪlt) /
astronomy the radius of a sphere (Schwarzschild sphere) surrounding a non-rotating uncharged black hole, from within which no information can escape because of gravitational forces
Origin of Schwarzschild radius
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for Schwarzschild radius
[ shwôrts′chīld′, shvärts′shĭld ]
A radius defined for a body of a given mass and proportional to that mass, such that if the body is smaller than that radius, the force of gravity is strong enough to prevent matter and energy to escape from within that radius. The Earth is much larger than its Schwarzschild radius, which is approximately 7 mm (0.28 inches).Black holes are examples of objects smaller than their Schwarzschild radius, which defines the radius of their event horizon. The Schwarzschild radius is a consequence of Einstein's General Relativity theory. It is named after the German astronomer Karl Schwarzschild (1873-1916).
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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