Transcript black holes
BLACK HOLES Reporter: Daniel Louise A. Leones Black Holes Escape velocity Event horizon Black hole parameters Falling into a black hole Massive bodies and escape speed Gravity bends the path of light A nonrotating black hole has only a “center” and a “surface” The black hole is surrounded by an event horizon which is the sphere from which light cannot escape The distance between the black hole and its event horizon is the Schwarzschild radius (RSch= 2GM/c2) The center of the black hole is a point of infinite density and zero volume, called a singularity Event horizon Gravitational Redshift For photons emitted at event horizon, gravitational redshift is infinite. The observed frequency is zero, i.e. the photons are never observed. RS 2GM 1 1 2 Rc R 2GM RS 2 c Event Horizon How large is the event horizon for a one solar mass black hole? RS = 2GM/c2 = 2.95 km How about a ten solar mass black hole? Three parameters completely describe the structure of a black hole Mass As measured by the black hole’s effect on orbiting bodies, such as another star Total electric charge As measured by the strength of the electric force Spin = angular momentum How fast the black hole is spinning Most properties of matter vanish when matter enters a black hole, such as chemical composition, texture, color, shape, size, distinctions between protons and electrons, etc Rotating black holes A rotating black hole (one with angular momentum) has an ergosphere around the outside of the event horizon In the ergosphere, space and time themselves are dragged along with the rotation of the black hole As you fall into to a black hole, you shine a blue flashlight at a friend exterior to the hole, she sees 1. 2. 3. 4. blue light blue light at first, then turning red blue light, then red, then nothing nothing Black holes evaporate Seeing Black Holes Observed properties of black holes Gravitational energy Rotating black holes Eddington luminosity Accretion disks Jets Accretion disk Accretion disks Disks form because infalling matter has angular momentum. Accretion leads to release of gravitational energy. Inner regions of disks rotate very rapidly – near the speed of light. The luminosity of a black hole is limited by its mass. Seeing black holes Observed properties of black holes Luminosity Orientation Jets Gravitational energy Black holes generate energy from matter falling into them. Rotating black holes For non-rotating black holes: - event horizon is at the Schwarzschild radius - inner edge of the disk is at 3 Schwarzschild radii For maximally rotating black holes: - event horizon is at ½ Schwarzschild radius - inner edge of the disk is at ½ Schwarzschild radius Schwarzschild radius = 3 km (M/MSun) Luminosity Gravitational energy is converted to kinetic energy as particles fall towards BH Efficiency of generators: Chemical burning < 0.000001% Nuclear burning < 1% Non-rotating black hole = 6% Rotating black hole = 42% Eddington Luminosity Limit on the brightness of a black hole Eddington Luminosity LEdd M 30,000 L M