Detecting Black Hole accretion disc

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SUMMARY

This discussion focuses on detecting the plane of an accretion disc around a black hole, specifically addressing the Bardeen-Petterson effect, which describes how the inner disc aligns with the equatorial plane of a spinning Kerr black hole due to frame dragging. The conversation highlights the significance of the Iron K alpha line fluorescence as a method for observing the inner aspects of the accretion disk, suggesting that knowledge of the orbital plane of a binary system can provide insights into the black hole's accretion disk orientation. The relationship between the accretion disk plane and the black hole's jet detection region is also emphasized, raising questions about the consistency of observational data with these theoretical frameworks.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of the Bardeen-Petterson effect
  • Familiarity with Kerr black holes and frame dragging
  • Knowledge of X-ray fluorescence, specifically the Iron K alpha line
  • Basic concepts of binary black hole systems and their orbital dynamics
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the Bardeen-Petterson effect in detail
  • Study the properties and implications of Kerr black holes
  • Explore methods for detecting X-ray fluorescence in astrophysical contexts
  • Investigate the relationship between accretion disks and relativistic jets in black holes
USEFUL FOR

Astronomers, astrophysicists, and researchers studying black hole dynamics, accretion processes, and high-energy astrophysical phenomena will benefit from this discussion.

zankaon
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How might one detect the plane of an accretion disc of a Black Hole? Might it just be assumed, by the orbital plane of a BH binary system? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accretion_disc"
 
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The outer disk might well be aligned with the orbital plane, but the inner disk should be aligned with the equatorial plane of the spinning (Kerr) black hole. It's called the Bardeen-Petterson effect and it's due to frame dragging.

Jim Graber
 
BH binary etc.

One has Iron K alpha line fluorescence http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-ray_fluorescence" reverberation from a surface, with an initial x-ray source. The iron line emission is supposed to be from inner aspect of accretion disk. So if one knows the orbital plane of a binary, then roughly (via Bardeen Peterson effect i.e. gravitomagnetic i.e. frame dragging from rotation) one would know approximately BH accretion disk plane, and hence approximate orthogonal pole of BH, which would supposedly correspond to any jet detection region. So interrelatedness; but are observations consistent enough with such description?
 
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