Einstein And Black Holes 02 Poem by Unnikrishnan Sivasankara Menon

(2) A Little History

Astrophysicist Karl Schwarzschild
Was attracted by Einstein's
General Relativity and
Gravitational Field Eqations.

He set out to calculate
the Gravitational Field
around an object in space,
Using the Field Equations.

He calculated the curvature
Of spacetime outside a star,
He did the same, later,
About inside such a star.

In both the cases, he found,
If the mass of the object
Was compressed into a tiny space,
All the calculations broke down!

Within this tiny space, defined as
Schwarzschild Radius, at the centre
Spacetime would curve on itself!
The Schwarzschild Singularity.

Nothing within
The Schwarzschild Radius
Will be able to escape
the gravitational pull!

Not even light or
Any other radiation.
Time would also be part
Of the warpage as well.

Hypothetically, for an observer
A space traveler nearing
The Schwarzschild Radius
Would appear to freeze to a halt.