Exploring the Contributions of Oppenheimer to the Discovery of Black Holes

While many are currently enthralled by the Oppenheimer film and primarily associate J. Robert Oppenheimer with his role as the ‘father of the atom bomb’, it is important to note that his contributions extend beyond this infamous title. Prior to their official discovery, Oppenheimer had already delved into the realm of black holes as an astrophysicist. He played a crucial part in their identification and provided insights into the process of a massive star’s collapse, which ultimately gives rise to these enigmatic cosmic entities.

Before his work at Los Alamos, New Mexico in 1942, Oppenheimer was a prominent theoretical physicist focused on quantum physics.

The study of black holes

Oppenheimer, in collaboration with his colleague Hartland S. Snyder at the University of California, Berkeley, published a research paper in 1939 entitled “On Continued Gravitational Contraction”. He showed how black holes can form using Einstein’s general theory of relativity.

Oppenheimer’s model described how a massive star can collapse under its own gravity, leading to the formation of a black hole. This work was fundamental to the understanding of black holes as a dynamic astrophysical process and representing the final stage in the evolution of sufficiently massive stars. In particular, this model is still used in modern astrophysical research.

Before starting the black hole research, Oppenheimer had already studied the subject of neutron stars in a 1938 paper. His interest in astrophysics continued when Einstein’s general theory of relativity was incorporated in 1939. On September 1, 1939, Oppenheimer published another paper devoted specifically to black holes. However, its significance was largely overshadowed because it coincided with the outbreak of World War II, when Germany invaded Poland.

Despite his significant contributions to the field of black holes, Oppenheimer’s legacy is closely linked to his involvement in the development of the atomic bomb. His work on black holes and his pioneering collapse model, though often overlooked by the public, continue to influence and shape our understanding of the physical world.