Accretion disc for a black hole

In summary: The matter has not crossed the event horizon of the black hole. If it had, it would not be visible (nor would it be orbiting).
  • #1
abhiroop_k
42
0
has the matter in the accretion discs for a black hole entered the BH or is it circling the actual BH?...
 
Astronomy news on Phys.org
  • #2
The matter has not crossed the event horizon of the black hole. If it had, it would not be visible (nor would it be orbiting).
 
  • #3
i learned (via some documentary) that a BH can be spotted by observing the distortion caused in the light from distant stars as it isn't visible directly...why isn't the accretion disc used for locating a BH in space?...
 
  • #4
Accretion disks are much more common ways to identify black holes than is gravitational lensing. For example, quasars, the most distant objects we can see in the constant sky, are accretion disks of supermassive black holes.
 
  • #5
The simple fact is not all black holes will have accretion disks. Furthermore, depending on the configuration, it may be difficult to spot the accretion disk. The features are generally going to be quite small, so it's not as if you'll be looking in a telescope and seeing a literal disk around a dark object. It will instead appear as a point source, so it's not (at least completely) trivial to say that it's an accretion disk and not a star (Of course it's actually not that hard to differentiate between the two, they have different light profiles in general).
 
  • #6
abhiroop_k said:
has the matter in the accretion discs for a black hole entered the BH or is it circling the actual BH?...

If the matter had passed through the EH then it would appear to be at a standstill to the reference frame of a stationary observer as the speeds get closer to 'c' aka time dilation.
 
  • #7
abhiroop_k said:
i learned (via some documentary) that a BH can be spotted by observing the distortion caused in the light from distant stars as it isn't visible directly...why isn't the accretion disc used for locating a BH in space?...

As mentioned by Nabeshin: Not all Black holes are known to have accreting matter.Also going by what you're suggesting if we are to use the accretion disc as a property to discover black holes then that follows upon the assumption that light reaches us but this isn't always the case due to Fraunhofer radiation (I think)


I personally believe that taking the red shift light reaching to us can't be a viable source.Recently I read an article about how much data we have gathered from Hubbles Space telescope yet the uncertainty i.e the number of galaxies observed seems high which is to say that quite often the forehead galaxies distort the incoming light from the distant galaxies,so to get over this issue James webb Telescope shall operate soon.

Regards
ibysaiyan
 
  • #8
thanks
 

1. What is an accretion disc for a black hole?

An accretion disc is a disk of matter that surrounds a black hole. It is formed from gas and dust particles that are pulled in by the black hole's strong gravitational pull.

2. How is an accretion disc formed?

An accretion disc is formed when a black hole is actively feeding on surrounding matter. The gas and dust particles orbit the black hole and gradually spiral inward, forming a disk shape.

3. What is the purpose of an accretion disc?

The purpose of an accretion disc is to provide a source of material for the black hole to feed on. As the matter in the disc spirals inward, it releases a tremendous amount of energy and radiation, making the black hole visible to us.

4. How does an accretion disc affect the behavior of a black hole?

An accretion disc can greatly affect the behavior of a black hole. The intense gravity of the black hole causes the matter in the disc to heat up and emit radiation, which can be seen as bright jets of energy. This process also causes the black hole to spin faster.

5. Can we study the accretion disc of a black hole?

Yes, we can study the accretion disc of a black hole using various methods such as observing the radiation emitted from the disc or measuring the changes in the black hole's behavior. These studies can provide valuable insights into the properties and behavior of black holes.

Similar threads

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
11
Views
2K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
2
Replies
48
Views
682
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
3
Replies
84
Views
3K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
2
Views
1K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
2
Views
953
Replies
1
Views
1K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
1
Views
1K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
5
Views
693
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
1
Views
1K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
9
Views
2K
Back
Top