A new theoretical study suggests that black holes may never completely disappear, potentially offering a way to resolve the long-standing black hole information paradox.
One of the biggest unsolved problems in modern physics, known as the “black hole information paradox,” may finally have a compelling solution. The proposed answer could also help explain where the mass of fundamental particles comes from.
In the 1970s, Stephen Hawking showed through semi-classical calculations that black holes are not completely black. Instead, they emit a faint form of radiation that slowly drains their energy until they eventually disappear. This creates a serious conflict with quantum mechanics because it appears to destroy information permanently, violating the principle of unitarity. According to quantum physics, information cannot be erased, yet black hole evaporation seems to do exactly that.
A new study published in the journal General Relativity and Gravitation, led by Richard Pinčák’s team, introduces a possible solution based on the geometry of extra-dimensional space.
Extra Dimensions and Twisting Spacetime
In the study published in General Relativity and Gravitation, the researchers examined the effects of a gravity model called Einstein-Cartan theory in a seven-dimensional framework built on a mathematical structure known as a G2-manifold with torsion. Unlike standard general relativity, this theory allows spacetime not only to bend but also to “twist” through a property called spacetime torsion.
The model produces an intriguing result. At the extreme densities associated with the Planck scale, this torsion creates a repulsive force that opposes gravitational collapse and stops the final stage of Hawking evaporation. Instead of disappearing completely, the black hole leaves behind a stable “remnant” with a predicted mass of about 9*10-41 kg.
If a black hole never fully vanishes, the question becomes, what happens to the information carried by everything that fell into it? The researchers suggest that the stable remnant functions as a kind of memory archive. Its structure provides a physical mechanism for preserving information through a spectrum of “quasi-normal modes.”
Black Hole Remnants as Quantum Memory
According to the team, quantum information becomes encoded within the long-lasting “vibrations” of the torsion field inside the remnant. Their calculations indicate that a remnant formed from a black hole with the mass of the Sun could store roughly 1.515*1077 qubits of information, enough to resolve the paradox.
The study also has major implications for particle physics. The researchers found that reducing the geometry from seven dimensions to four dimensions, which corresponds to observable spacetime, naturally produces the electroweak scale (~246 GeV). This scale is closely tied to the Higgs field, which gives elementary particles their mass.
Within this framework, the vacuum expectation value (VEV) of the torsion field is dynamically linked to the electroweak scale (about 246 GeV). In other words, the same geometric effect that prevents black holes from fully evaporating and preserves information could also provide a geometric explanation for the mass hierarchy problem in particle physics.
The Higgs Field and the Geometry of Mass
So why has no evidence of these extra dimensions been detected? The answer comes down to energy. The researchers estimate that the particles connected to these dimensions, known as Kaluza-Klein excitations, would have masses around 8.6*1015 GeV. That is roughly seven orders of magnitude beyond the capabilities of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Still, being beyond the reach of colliders does not make the theory impossible to test.
The model is grounded in strict geometric relationships and produces clear, falsifiable predictions. One possibility is that the stable black hole remnants (9*10-41 kg) could make up part of the universe’s mysterious dark matter. Detecting the gravitational effects of these “Planckian relics” would strongly support the theory.
The model also stands out because of the mathematical structure behind the information stored in the remnants’ “vibrations” (quasi-normal modes). In addition, the enormous energy scales involved are associated with the very early universe. That means traces of this seven-dimensional geometry could potentially appear in the cosmic microwave background or in primordial gravitational waves.
By linking black holes to the Higgs field, the research suggests that solving the information paradox may not require rewriting quantum mechanics. Instead, it points toward a deeper seven-dimensional picture of the structure of reality.
Reference: “Geometric origin of a stable black hole remnant from torsion in G2-manifold geometry” by Richard Pinčák, Alexander Pigazzini, Michal Pudlák and Erik Bartoš, 19 March 2026, General Relativity and Gravitation.
DOI: 10.1007/s10714-026-03528-z
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