How Does Magnetism Influence Black Holes Despite Escape Velocity Challenges?

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the influence of magnetism on black holes, particularly how magnetic forces might interact with matter in the context of black holes and their escape velocities. Participants explore theoretical implications, the role of accretion disks, and the nature of magnetic fields in relation to black holes.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that magnetism plays a significant role in the process of matter being drawn into black holes, questioning how magnetic forces could operate given the escape velocity constraints.
  • Others express skepticism about the assertion that magnetism is responsible for attracting gas from orbiting stars into black holes, citing the short range of magnetic forces compared to gravity.
  • A participant mentions Hawking radiation as a form of energy that can escape from black holes, proposing that while particles cannot escape, a magnetic field could still exist beyond the event horizon.
  • There is a suggestion that the magnetic influence may primarily originate from the accretion disk rather than the black hole itself.
  • Some participants acknowledge the complexity and mystery surrounding black holes, with one noting the reliance on approximations in current theories.
  • Another participant points out that core collapse black holes are expected to have only a small magnetic field.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of views on the role of magnetism in relation to black holes, with no consensus reached. Some support the idea of magnetic influence, while others challenge its significance and question the validity of existing theories.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight the limitations of current understanding regarding black holes and magnetism, including the dependence on theoretical models and the unresolved nature of certain mathematical aspects.

Maplesyrup
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
I read recently that magnetism plays an important role in cramming all that matter into a black hole. But how is it possible that magnetic force could escape a black hole, having an escape velocity higher than the speed of light, therefore an impossibility of matter(or energy) escaping?
 
Astronomy news on Phys.org
Maplesyrup said:
I read recently that magnetism plays an important role in cramming all that matter into a black hole.

Where exactly?
 
Vanadium 50 said:
Where exactly?

http://news.nationalgeographic.com.au/news/2006/06/060621-black-holes.html


/\There and about a million other sites
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Energy can escape from a black hole (it's called Hawking radiation). Levels of hawking radiation are meant to be so low that it would take longer than the predicted lifetime of the universe for a black hole to evaporate though.

I see no reason why a black hole couldn't have a magnetic effect though (who knows, black holes may actually be magnetic monopoles :)). Particles can't escape from the black hole, but that's not to say that the black hole couldn't have a magnetic field with the electromagnetic force carried by particles that are created on the edge of the event horizon... black holes are a fairly large mystery still though (I remember one student of physics once telling me that equations regarding black holes are 'you have the equations that calculate what our theories say about black holes... then you add in a huge fudge factor that brings the calculations in line with what we've observed about black holes'... hardly good science there yet :))
 
So its the accretion disc having the magnetic tug rather than the actual black hole. Thanx a lot makes a lot more sense:D
 
Maplesyrup said:
I read recently that magnetism plays an important role in cramming all that matter into a black hole. But how is it possible that magnetic force could escape a black hole, having an escape velocity higher than the speed of light, therefore an impossibility of matter(or energy) escaping?

Gravity extends beyond the event horizon and so does magnetism. The event horizon is just the distance that light falls back inwards.

To be honest, I am a bit skeptical of these researchers for saying that it must be magnetism that sucks gas from an orbiting star into the black hole. Gas particles bounce around in all different directions, meaning that a star which is barely in a stable orbit will have lots of gas particles constantly falling out of that stable orbit. Also, the magnetic force has a relatively short range compared to gravity.
 
Maplesyrup said:
So its the accretion disc having the magnetic tug rather than the actual black hole. Thanx a lot makes a lot more sense:D

It makes sense to me as a way for the particles of force to exist with a magnetic field extending beyond the event horizon. I'm not saying it is correct, and I think junglebeast makes a better point in being skeptical of the idea and the accretion disk building up from random movements of an orbiting stars matter (Brownian motion, yes?).

Still, there is no reason why a black hole can't have a magnetic field and there are numerous ways for the force particles to exist and transmit the force, so that doesn't count against the idea.
 
I think that is discussing external magnetic fields. Core collapse black holes should have only a small field.
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 17 ·
Replies
17
Views
6K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
3K
  • · Replies 22 ·
Replies
22
Views
4K
  • · Replies 52 ·
2
Replies
52
Views
8K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
3K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
3K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
2K
Replies
6
Views
2K