Planck scale black holes - Theory vs. observations

TL;DR

This paper reviews the theoretical background and experimental searches for microscopic black holes at the Planck scale, focusing on large extra dimensions and collider signatures, and discusses current experimental bounds.

Contribution

It provides an overview of the physics of Planck scale black holes, their potential production in colliders, and summarizes recent experimental constraints.

Findings

No definitive black hole signals observed in current experiments.

Experimental bounds place constraints on models with large extra dimensions.

Expected signatures include specific event topologies in particle detectors.

Abstract

In this paper we present the status of the physics of Planck scale black holes with particular reference to their conjectured production in particle accelerator experiments at the terascale. After reviewing some open issues of fundamental interactions and introducing the physics in the large extra-dimensional scenario, we present the expected signatures left by a microscopic black hole in a particle detector. The final part of the paper is devoted to the latest experimental bounds on the sought black hole signals.