Space-time can be neither discrete nor continuous

TL;DR

This paper proposes that space-time's nature may be neither discrete nor continuous, with its quantization depending on energy, and shows that black hole evaporation behavior converges at the Planck scale regardless of initial mass.

Contribution

It introduces an energy-dependent space-time quantization model based on a Bohr-like approach to black hole quantum physics, unifying BH evaporation behavior at the Planck scale.

Findings

Space-time quantization can depend on energy.

The volume quantum of Schwarzschild space-time increases with energy.

Black hole evaporation behavior converges at the Planck scale.

Abstract

We show that our recent Bohr-like approach to black hole (BH) quantum physics implies that space-time quantization could be energy-dependent. Thus, in a certain sense, space-time can be neither discrete nor continuous. Our approach permits also to show that the "volume quantum" of the Schwarzschild space-time increases with increasing energy during BH evaporation and arrives to a maximum value when the Planck scale is reached and the generalized uncertainty principle (GUP) prevents the total BH evaporation. Remarkably, this result does not depend on the BH original mass. The interesting consequence is that the behavior of BH evaporation should be the same for all Schwarzschild BHs when the Planck scale is approached.