How Much Mass Energy Does a Black Hole Re-Radiate?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the mass-energy re-radiation of objects that enter a black hole's accretion disk, specifically focusing on the percentage of mass that is re-radiated as accretion disk radiation and polar jet radiation before reaching the event horizon. The scope includes theoretical considerations and estimates related to black hole accretion processes.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant inquires about the percentage of mass re-radiated as accretion disk and polar jet radiation before reaching the event horizon.
  • Another participant references a paper discussing black hole accretion disk theory, noting that while the general theory is established, many details remain complex and not fully understood.
  • Some participants express uncertainty about the exact percentages of mass that are converted to energy, with one suggesting that estimates could range from 0.001% to 50%.
  • There is mention of the luminosity of quasars being linked to gas accretion by supermassive black holes, with a claim that this process can convert about 10% of mass into energy, contrasting it with nuclear fusion processes.
  • Participants discuss whether the estimated percentages for accretion disk radiation and relativistic jets might be similar, with one suggesting 10% for both, though this remains uncertain.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the exact percentages of mass re-radiated, and multiple competing views and uncertainties remain regarding the specifics of black hole accretion processes.

Contextual Notes

There are limitations in the discussion regarding the lack of authoritative answers and the complexity of the underlying physics, which may depend on specific conditions and definitions that are not fully resolved.

Islam Hassan
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Given a massive object that has entered a BH's accretion disk, what percentage of its mass is typically re-radiated away as i) accretion disk radiation and ii) polar jet radiation/particle streams before ever getting to the event horizon?

How much does a black hole *not* consume of its 'captive' prey?IH
 
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In case an expert with an answer does not appear, here is a paper I found when I was looking for similar information...I did not find an answer:

BH accretion disk theory
http://arxiv.org/pdf/1104.5499v3.pdf



////how black hole accretion works is well established in general, yet
several rather crucial details remain either not sufficiently understood or are too complex to be studied even by the most powerful present-day computers. To deal with this seemingly hopeless situation, several purely phenomenological approaches have been adopted. Two of them should...

pg44:
Although the main focus of this review is on black hole accretion disk theory, we note that there has long been a strong observational connection between accreting black holes and relativistic jets across all scales of black hole mass. For supermassive black holes this includes quasars and active galactic nuclei; for stellar-mass black holes this includes microquasars. However, the theoretical understanding of disks and jets has largely proceeded separately and the physical link between the two still remains uncertain...
 
Naty1 said:
In case an expert with an answer does not appear, here is a paper I found when I was looking for similar information...I did not find an answer:

BH accretion disk theory
http://arxiv.org/pdf/1104.5499v3.pdf


pg44:


Thanx Naty, so the short answer is "we really don't know...", pity...


IH
 
Islam Hassan said:
Thanx Naty, so the short answer is "we really don't know...", pity...IH

Perhaps. I'd wait and see if someone else can answer your question before concluding we don't know.
 
Drakkith said:
Perhaps. I'd wait and see if someone else can answer your question before concluding we don't know.


Yes, I was foolish to say that; really hope that someone out there has some information on this.


IH
 
If there is no authoritative answer, is there at least an order-of-magnitude estimate? Would accretion disks and relativistic jets radiate 1%, 10% or 50% or 0.001% of impinging matter? Or perhaps that is also asking too much...


IH
 
From wiki:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accretion_disk

The most spectacular accretion discs found in nature are those of active galactic nuclei and of quasars, which are believed to be massive black holes at the center of galaxies. As matter follows the tendex line into a black hole, the intense gravitational gradient gives rise to intense frictional heating; the accretion disc of a black hole is hot enough to emit X-rays just outside of the event horizon. The large luminosity of quasars is believed to be a result of gas being accreted by supermassive black holes. This process can convert about 10 percent of the mass of an object into energy as compared to around 0.5 percent for nuclear fusion processes.

Not sure what it would be for a regular black hole.
 
The large luminosity of quasars is believed to be a result of gas being accreted by supermassive black holes. This process can convert about 10 percent of the mass of an object into energy as compared to around 0.5 percent for nuclear fusion processes.

That process is external to the BH horizon.
 
Drakkith said:
From wiki:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accretion_disk



Not sure what it would be for a regular black hole.


Thanx for that reference; should have thought of it myself...so say 10% for the accretion disk radiation, perhaps a like proportion for the relativistic jet too?


IH
 
  • #10
Naty1 said:
That process is external to the BH horizon.

Of course it is. Did something I say suggest otherwise?
 
  • #11
Islam Hassan said:
Thanx for that reference; should have thought of it myself...so say 10% for the accretion disk radiation, perhaps a like proportion for the relativistic jet too?


IH

Don't know. Maybe it's already taken into account in the 10%?
 

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