Energetic Jets Emanating from Black Holes with no Rotation

A black hole can be described by three parameters: its mass, spin, and electric charge. However, the environment surrounding a black hole is more complex. As material flows towards the black hole, a hot accretion disk forms, which can produce powerful jets of ionized matter. These jets are believed to be powered by the rotational energy of the black hole, with magnetic fields playing a role.

However, astronomers Ramesh Narayan and his colleague have discovered an alternative explanation for the driving mechanism of these jets. They propose that non-spinning black holes can also drive powerful jets through intense radiation emitted by hot gas. The gravity of the black hole attracts the radiation, which becomes concentrated enough to drive the jet’s particles at high speeds.

This alternative explanation has implications for certain astrophysical observations. Ultraluminous X-ray sources, which are believed to originate from black holes, have been puzzling in terms of their energetics. The new scenario suggests that the radiation-driven jets naturally emit particles in narrow beams, which could explain these observations.

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