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Concept
Extremal black hole
Summary
In theoretical physics, an extremal black hole is a black hole with the minimum possible mass that is compatible with its charge and angular momentum.
The concept of an extremal black hole is theoretical and none have thusfar been observed in nature. However, many theories are based on their existence.
In supersymmetric theories, extremal black holes are often supersymmetric: they are invariant under several supercharges. This is a consequence of the BPS bound. Such black holes are stable and emit no Hawking radiation. Their black hole entropy can be calculated in string theory.
It has been suggested by Sean Carroll that the entropy of an extremal black hole is equal to zero. Carroll explains the lack of entropy by creating a separate dimension for the black hole to exist within.
The Hawking radiation of extremal black holes are considered non-thermal (non-Planck distributed), with no associated temperature.
The hypothetical black hole electron is super-extremal (having more charge and angular momentum than a black hole of its mass "should").
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Ontological neighbourhood
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Black hole information paradox
The black hole information paradox is a puzzle that appears when the predictions of quantum mechanics and general relativity are combined. The theory of general relativity predicts the existence of black holes that are regions of spacetime from which nothing — not even light — can escape. In the 1970s, Stephen Hawking applied the semi-classical approach of quantum field theory in curved spacetime to such systems and found that an isolated black hole would emit a form of radiation called Hawking radiation.
Hawking radiation
Hawking radiation is the theoretical thermal black body radiation released outside a black hole's event horizon. This is counterintuitive because once ordinary electromagnetic radiation is inside the event horizon, it cannot escape. It is named after the physicist Stephen Hawking, who developed a theoretical argument for its existence in 1974. Hawking radiation is predicted to be extremely faint and is many orders of magnitude below the current best telescopes' detecting ability.
String theory
In physics, string theory is a theoretical framework in which the point-like particles of particle physics are replaced by one-dimensional objects called strings. String theory describes how these strings propagate through space and interact with each other. On distance scales larger than the string scale, a string looks just like an ordinary particle, with its mass, charge, and other properties determined by the vibrational state of the string.