Conflicting thought on quasars and black holes

[VetStudent]

After searching elsewhere online I could not find any information about this thought and hope someone may offer some insight.

Black holes seem to be generally discussed as having a single entrance point from the event horizon and down into its singularity.

I am confused by how quasars have been shown to emit from more than one area of a black hole? NASA depictions of some quasars show a beam of radiation coming from "above" and "below" the black hole.
If the black hole has deformed the space/time fabric down into its singularity---- and we don't know where it goes/connects to--- how can a quasar be generated from what would appear to be "singularity" side of the black hole?

Perhaps I'm over simplifying dimension, space/time, and the unknown anatomy of a black hole.

 

[phinds]

Perhaps I'm over simplifying dimension, space/time, and the unknown anatomy of a black hole.

I think not simplifiying it so much as just getting it wrong. I don't understand your concept of "a single entrance point from the event horizon and down into its singularity". A black hole event horizon is a shere and matter can enter from any point on the sphere. When there is a LOT of matter, it forms an accretion disk [google it] and if the accretion disk is big/hot enough, it shoots off matter both upwards and downwards from the disk. There IS no "'singularity' side of a black hole"

 

[VetStudent]

I think not simplifiying it so much as just getting it wrong. I don't understand your concept of "a single entrance point from the event horizon and down into its singularity". A black hole event horizon is a shere and matter can enter from any point on the sphere. When there is a LOT of matter, it forms an accretion disk [google it] and if the accretion disk is big/hot enough, it shoots off matter both upwards and downwards from the disk. There IS no "'singularity' side of a black hole"

That's very helpful- I did not understand the event horizon as being spherical. The 2-D representation vs. 3-D representation was definitely needed.

 

[newjerseyrunner]

A quasar is no different than any other accretion disk, just way bigger. The intense energy coming from the material falling into the black hole, not from the black hole itself. The matter falling in spins, which creates powerful magnetic fields. Those fields are what then shoot material out in jets from either pole.

 

[Chronos]

Temporal variations in quasar luminosity indicate the emission source is very compact - around the size of our solar system;. For discussion, see;.https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0611491, Timescale of variation and the size of the accretion disc in active galactic nuclei. The energy source necessary to poweri lthe typical luminosity output of quasars in such a small volume of space has been deduced, almost beyond any reasonalbe doubt, to be a supermassive black hole. It is fascinating to review the evidence and reasoning applied to arrive at such apparently bold assertions. This is a necessary exercise to understand why they may, or may not ,be suspect.

 

[alantheastronomer]

He's right, the rapid pulsations indicate it's undoubtedly a supermassive black hole. However the mechanism for such powerful emission still remains a mystery to this day!

 

[nikkkom]

It's a pity sci-fi rarely depicts any events of the stories happening anywhere other than "normal" planets, stars, or empty space. And when it does have some action near a black hole, neutron star or white dwarf, it's usually scientifically totally wrong.

Accretion disks around quasars are immense, terrifying and mesmerizing acts of nature. From some few hundreds of light years, viewed from a side, they should look like a giant straight dark dust band across the sky, with lighter sky above and below the band. Right where the invisible center is, two beams of light are seen "behind" the band, perpendicular to it. Looks a bit like two searchlights pointing in opposite directions. Imagine a searchlight 500 light-years long...

Viewed from closer by, about one light year, and from above the disk, the inner disk can be seen - flattening as we go towards center, and then starting to glow as it rotates faster and faster. And then, the innermost, relatively tiny parts GLOW ferociously, bluish, then mostly in UV, all this energy unable to escape radially, being blocked by the more distant layers upon layers of the disk. The only way to escape is up and down. Both light and particle wind is pouring out of the eye of the cosmic cyclone, in two beams.

A closeup photo of it would be... interesting.