Hawking-Unruh Effect Associated with Primordial Black Holes and Maximum Acceleration of Elementary Particles

Abstract Three decades ago an expression for the maximum acceleration of elementary particles was derived using quantum theory. There is no experimental confirmation of this so far. In this paper we study the phenomenon of acceleration of elementary particles by the surface gravity of primordial black holes (PBH) formed in the early universe and the associated Hawking-Unruh effect. From a heuristic theory we find that every elementary particle can be associated with a PBH of unique mass and Hawking temperature. This implies a unique Hawking-Unruh acceleration for each elementary particle. The inferred values of maximum acceleration from our theory range from 6.24 × 1033 m/s2 for top quarks to 1.85 × 1028 m/s2 for electrons. These values can be considered to be the maximum acceleration given by the general expression m c 3 2 h of elementary particles of given rest mass (m) due to the force of gravity. Elementary particles with the maximum Compton wavelength (10 − 4  m) and an inferred mass of 0.0185 eV (possibly neutrinos) are found to be associated with a PBH whose Hawking temperature is identical to the cosmic microwave background temperature of the present Universe.